Kansas City 2007 Part Two

First of all, Happy New Year! I am pleased to still be here for another year of stories.

Last month, I ventured to Kansas City to be a part of an upcoming documentary on Metro in the greater Kansas area. It will have many greats that still survive the 70's era on it. Names like eight-time NWA World Champ Harley Race, NWA Junior Heavyweight Champ Roger Kirby, Billy Howard and myself … just to name a few. It is scheduled to air sometime in the spring.

I had the pleasure of going back to the building where I gained a lot of respect in the world of professional wrestling. I was looked on as the leader of champions, and many of the greats asked for and received my help. That help didn't come easy or cheap, as I commanded 35% of the money each man got for their skills in the ring.

I spent a few hours in front of a microphone in the middle of the auditorium area of Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas on the 13th of December. Chris Gough and I spoke about many of the stars that I helped to mold into champions. We also talked about the many that have gone on to that big ring in the sky.

Not many of the original crew of Heart of America Sports still survive. Mike George, Roger Kirby, Omar Atlas, Billy Howard, Archie Gouldie (The Stomper), Harley Race, Akio Sato, Bob Geigel, Betty Niccoli (she is to be honored at the CAC in June at The Riviera in Las Vegas), Jean Antone, Princess Partlow, Belle Starr, Lord Littlebrook, Little Tokyo, Little Bobo Johnson and myself are still hanging in there.

As I left the airport going to St. Joe to see Littlebrook, my mind began to daydream about the many times I went up and down Route 29 and I-35 going to the many towns that were promoted in the northern half of our territory. The many snow storms and other inclement weather we faced each and every day were just memories.

The Midwest had just gone through a tremendous ice and snow storm a few days before I landed, and it was quite evident by the trees bent over to the ground and the mounds of snow at their bases and along the roadways.

I had a great reunion with Littlebrook, Tokyo and Bobo Johnson during the afternoon. The excitement of four old warriors getting together and telling old road stories and some new ones can't have a price tag put on it. We were there and had done it all. We saw things that most people only dream about. When we are no longer here, those memories will be no more. That is why I enjoy telling it the way it was on this site.

I returned to Kansas City and stayed the evening near downtown. On the way there, I passed by the house of my friend Rod Phillips and said a silent prayer for him. There were many times that he saved my backside in Kansas City from angry fans. He was a good friend to many … not just me.

On Friday, I ventured to Sheplers Western Wear in Lenexa, Kansas and tried to look for a new suit. They must have gotten their inventory ideas from Henry Ford's Model T, as the only color suit they carried was black in color.

The next few hours were spent going across old Highway 50 towards Sedalia and then southeast to Eldon, Missouri. When I was going to Sedalia in the past, most of it was two-lane with lots of turns on it, making travel sometimes a problem. I remember riding with Harley one day in his specially built Ford station wagon that had a 460-cubic inch police interceptor motor in it, along with a police transmission and rear end in it from a wrecked ‘71 Ford that Harley had.

We left Harley's home in Overland Park at 4 p.m. and were in Sedalia at 5:15, just 5 or 10 minutes early for our radio broadcast. By the way, the distance between those towns is 94 miles, and I never saw the speedometer after it hit 120 until we were in the city limits of Sedalia.

Arriving in Eldon, I checked into my suite and decided to go downtown and check things out.. Harley's academy is on Maple Street and has a huge fully-equipped gym in the adjoining sector of the building that houses his ring and workout area. Harley's office, next to B.J.'s is very simple in nature with grey walls behind many pictures of Harley from his many-year wrestling career. Over his walnut desk hangs a mantle with his NWA belt, presented to him when he defeated Dory Funk Jr. in Kansas City in 1973. It rests beside the Central States gold belt that was held by many of the wrestlers that made it to the top.

As the afternoon came to a close, I returned to my suite to rest up for the next day. I had carried a few DVD's with me for the trip and had my laptop handy to watch them with. The next few hours, I watched some old time movies with Abbott and Costello, along with Ma and Pa Kettle. I even mixed in a few Little Rascals and Marx Brothers movies before finally hitting the sack around midnight.

Saturday morning, I rose around 8 and had a great breakfast at the cafe next to the hotel. I decided to try and look the town over a little more and went to a few stores that didn't mind a stranger shopping in them.

After a short nap back at the suite, I went to the academy around 4:30 for the annual Christmas party that Harley and B.J. throw every year. I had a big welcome from Ms. Natural, Johnny Gold and Derek. One by one, the guests began to arrive around 5 p.m.

Suddenly, I was face to face with Joe Hennig, son of the late "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig and grandson of Larry "The Ax" Hennig. What a big kid he is. I had to look up, and folks ... he is still growing.

To be continued...

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers

2003 BWC Hall of Fame Inductee
2004 CAC Hall of Fame Inductee
2006 LWA Hall of Fame Inductee
2007 TCCW Hall of Fame Honoree