6-16-1972 Part Two

Please keep Penny Banner in your prayers as she continues to battle a huge health issue. Penny, WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!--Percival

Friday night was something that I looked for each week. It was a challenge for me to see if I could outwit that old one-legged promoter Gust Karras. He had done many things to the guys that I managed. He would match them with inferior opponents that meant nothing as to climbing that ladder towards championship matches. They also meant a lot less in the way of payoffs.

I had gone to ringside after the intermission to add my expertise into the tag team match that had Harley Race and Angus against Danny Littlebear and Omar Atlas. My mere presence at ringside caused fans to run to Karras and demand that I be removed. I had done nothing to these people except be a winner.

Mertie and Gertie Hite, as usual, put their two cents into the event by swinging those umbrellas and heavy purses they carried to ringside. It took four cops to get them back to their seats. Gust Karras was seated at the timer’s table, as usual, in a beautiful handmade suit with silk tie and cotton shirt. I guess he never learned anything about proper dress watching me.

As the match was nearing the 15-minute mark, here came Fat Pat O'Connor to the timer’s table. He was shouting to Karras and kept pointing toward me. As I stated, I had not done ANYTHING to cause him to become involved in the match. It wasn't long before Gust motioned for four of his big goons that he was training for wresting to come to him at ringside.

Harley Race and Angus started to shout at Karras about the place being a little biased and actually threw little Omar Atlas over the top rope on to the floor of the arena. Littlebear scurried to help Atlas and became completely oblivious to the shouting match in the opposite corner of the ring.

I had climbed into the ring because all the donut eaters were over trying to keep Harley and Angus in the ring. Karras began to speak on the mike and told fans that my being involved at ringside was not according to the stipulations that I had agreed to for this tag team match. He also suggested that it would be to my advantage to remove myself from the arena floor.

I quickly produced my manager’s permit for the state of Missouri, which gave me every legal right to be there. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw O'Connor shaking his finger at me and screaming out that I should not be there. I guess that they thought that they had out smarted me by having me put to this test by Gust Karras. After all, in their own humble, small minds, the fans respected Karras, and he would do whatever they wanted.

I reached into my pocket before one of the goons could grab me and gave Harley a small spray bottle that fit in his hand. I said to him that if Littlebear or Atlas got out of hand to spray them with this, and it would take care of all the problems. The spray bottle contained Ether and was used by me to stop the onslaught of fans in a riot.

As I was led away by Pat O'Connor and the four goons to the dressing room, I turned and smiled at Race and Angus. I knew that the match would be ours tonight, and the tag team belts would not be far from our grasp. As Atlas got back into the ring, I could tell that something was different. He was more intense about the bout than he had been. His variety of counter holds suddenly became a centerpiece in the match as I watched from the rear of the building on the stage.

He became a virtual wrestling machine. His command of the mat was superb. He needed to be taken out of the match. Angus entered the ring and drew referee Frankie Diamond toward him, and Harley dug into his trunks and sprayed Atlas in the nose with the bottle I had given him. Angus and Littlebear began a fight that ended with both men going to the arena floor and fought to the dressing rooms.

Harley stood over the limp, lifeless body of Atlas and watched as the referee counted Atlas out. His hand was raised in victory, and he had one of the biggest smiles on his face. It was then that O'Connor hit the ring and began to protest that Harley had done something to Atlas that was not according to Hoyle.

Harley quickly jumped out of the ring and made his way back to the dressing room with the help of four uniformed and two plainclothes police. Pat grabbed the mike and demanded that Harley and Angus be brought back to the ring and be forced to a searching of their ring apparel. Gust Karras told Pat that the match was over and for him to go back to his dressing room.

The bell began to ring for the Main Event, and I took my spot in front of Roger "Nature Boy" Kirby. He was the former Junior Heavyweight Champion and had retired the title during his reign. His goal tonight was to become the Central States Champ. I was there to see that the odds against him by Karras would be even.

Fans were still pretty upset with me and threw anything from paper cups filled with beer to wine bottles half full and carried into the building. I had told the fans during a television program the past Saturday night that we would outsmart the Stomper and outwrestle him. Stomper was a pretty tough guy in the ring and had handed Angus a defeat just eight days before in Kansas City, Kansas.

Both men had gotten a fall in this, a best of three falls match. Kirby had used the Gilligan Twist to get the first fall. It was a hold given to me by the great Ralph "Wild Red" Berry of Pittsburg, Kansas. Stomper used those size 15 loaded boots of his to gain the second fall, nearly kicking the eyes out of Kirby's head.

As the third fall began, Karras received a note from the box office and suddenly left the ringside area. He took his goon squad with him. Now would be the opportunity for Roger to become Champion. Kirby punched Stomper so hard, I thought his big nose was going to fall off his face. He dropped over the second rope and was within a good reach from me.

Being the gentleman I was, I jumped on the ring apron and pushed Stomper into the ring to enable Roger to win the match without ANY comments from the critics. Moody turned to see me standing there and asked what I was doing on the ring apron. Before I could even utter a word, he disqualified Kirby and awarded the match to Stomper.

I wanted to take Moody apart at the seams, but putting my hands on an official was a no-no and an automatic fine of $5000. He WASN'T worth near that much to me. The fans were happy and went home that way.

We lost the battle that night, but the war went on between Kirby and The Stomper.

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