CAC 2005 Part 3

As Friday morning started for me, I woke up at the Orton compound. I had a small bowl of cereal and some fresh fruit to hold me over until Bob Sr. and I could go to the buffet. Las Vegas is famous for their food and hospitality, besides the gambling that you can do there.

At 8:30, my cell began to ring. The first to call was Rob Moore, my webmaster from Texas. His flight had just arrived, and he was on the way to the Riviera to meet with me. I was very excited, as this would be the first meeting with him face to face.

For nearly six years, Rob had been getting my stories onto the internet and had been a very good friend to me. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to him for all his work.

At 9:30, Rhonda picked us up again and helped to load my bags into the family van for the trip to the Riviera. As we arrived, I hurriedly got things organized so the bags would be stacked in a way that all could be pulled with one movement. It was something I had learned over the years of being on the road.

As I approached the sign-in desk outside the hospitality room and the workout area, I bumped into Don Leo Jonathan. We exchanged a handshake and a few words to be continued later. Tiger Conway Sr. and Father Jason Sanderson were next to say hello. It seemed like every time I tried to get closer to the registration area, I was meeting and greeting friends.

I totally enjoy going to the CAC every year, as it gives me the chance to see old and new friends. Suddenly, I had a hand on my shoulder, and there stood Rob Moore. We grabbed on to each other like two lost brothers and began to talk as we walked toward the front desk of the hotel.

I ran into Gary Hart and then into Ross Hart and Bob Johnson from Calgary. Short stories were abounding as we found out about family members and friends that had been a part of our lives. Rob was simply amazed by the amount of people that I came in contact with.

I left my bags with the bell captain and started back to the check-in area, where we met up with Bob Sr. and Rhonda. They had just come back from the buffet and were going to watch the young lions go through their warmup exercises. I suddenly hear the growl of a voice challenging me to a cribbage game and vowing to beat my backside.

It was the voice of Dick Beyer, The Sensational, Intelligent, Masked Destroyer. I walked past him and gave his wife Wilma a big hug and then turned to him and told him that he looked better with the mask on. Just then, a group came forward to us, and Sodbuster Kenny Jay came over to say hello. Rob was having the time of his life meeting with people.

I looked at my watch, and it was nearing 12 noon, and I decided to check in. Winding through the long line, I began to see more people that I knew. Bob Geigel and Al Mandrel came forward. Finally getting to our room, Rob and I began to unpack and get ready for the huge day ahead.

Rob and I then left the Riviera and went to one of my favorite eating places just a few doors south called the Peppermill. It had been a couple of years since I had eaten there and was overcome by the new look it had. They had redone everything in blues instead of reds as before. It gave the place a more elegant look.

I had biscuits and gravy while Rob dined on a short stack of pancakes that were about a foot in diameter. I had told him earlier just after ordering that if he went away from here hungry ... it was his fault. We returned to the Riviera and went to the wrestling area and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon before going back to our room to get ready for the Baloney Blowout.

We had an excellent view from the 24th floor of the pool and also the Las Vegas strip. Vegas is full of neon lights and flashy adornments to keep your attention. One building that was very evident was the new Wynn resort that stood on the property of where the Desert Inn was. It is the largest attraction on the north end of the strip.

The Baloney Blowout is becoming a Friday night tradition with the CAC. With most of the guys, when we finished up wrestling in the old days and were heading for our next bookings, we would grab some baloney ... a loaf of bread ... some mustard and a few beers and head down the road. The Blowout was held in the same room that the banquet would be the next evening. At the top of the Riviera.

The room commanded the best view of Las Vegas. You could see nearly all the way to the south end, and, turning towards the north, you could see some of the casino signs from the downtown area. It's not as graphic as going to the top of the Stratosphere, where all of Las Vegas can be seen for nearly 35 miles around from 1100 feet in the air.

Following a great meal that included a variety of cold cuts and salads and snacks, we listened to Mark Nulty and Nick Bockwinkel do some introductions of the guys and gals in the room. There were over 275 wrestlers in the room that night. According to Karl Lauer, executive V.P. of the CAC, it was the largest gathering of brothers and sisters of the canvas so far.

Suddenly, Adrian Street was called to the podium, as he had an exciting message to be delivered to the crowd. He was accompanied by his lifelong mate, Miss Linda. Adrian had donned a blond wig that reminded you of him in his heyday of wrestling. This guy was no limp-wristed dancer that couldn't hold his hands above his head. He was, and still is, in great shape for his age.

He began to speak of his early years in England where he worked in the coal mines. He then talked about his trying out in the wrestling business in England and then coming to the states to show off his wares. He then asked his mate of 35 years, Miss Linda, to marry him the following night at our 40th annual banquet. He had been planning the event for some time, and Fr. Jason Sanderson would perform the ceremony. In a teary eyed acceptance speech that followed, Miss Linda accepted, much to the happiness of the standing ovation that they received from the crowd of over 500 in the room.

The evening wound down by going about the room and exchanging stories and friendships with everyone we could. Rob was like a kid in a candy store with a new $100 bill in his hand. I was happy that he was getting this look at another side of my life that I enjoy so much.

While returning to the tower elevators that would take us to our room, we stopped by the Splash bar where the Riviera was celebrating their upcoming 50th anniversary by offering its guests a complimentary champagne and piece of their birthday cake.

Finally hitting the sack, it was near midnight again. Rob was beat, and so was I.

To be continued ...

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The Epitome of Wrestling Managers
2004 CAC Honoree