CAC 2006 Part Three

Saturdays are always a good gathering of old friends at the annual CAC event. It is usually a day filled with many handshakes and hugs, smiles and tears. There are plenty of road stories told and lots of listeners around.

I started the day at the buffet and then ventured upstairs to the third floor where the CAC room was. After my few hellos, I was involved in a cribbage game with C.C. Starr from Arizona. I had amazed him by giving him his own cribbage board that was dated 1968 and in its original box.

He asked how I knew when his birth year was, and I simply told him that they don't call me the Epitome for nothing. His eyes were as big as saucers, and he couldn't get words into his mouth to thank me. I was given all the thanks I needed by the huge smile on his face.

As it was nearing 12:00, the Cribbage tournament was to begin. I was matched up with a young man named Jeff. Bill White was matched with C.C. Starr. Red Bastien was matched with a young lady, and Ox Baker was matched with Mad Dog Vachon.

I was lucky enough to get a win over Jeff and was then told that Paul "Butcher" Vachon would be my next opponent. Paul had been successful in defending himself in the opening set of games.

I was awaiting the game because I wanted to try and gain back a win from Vachon for losing to him a few years back. As luck would have it, I was given the right cards and caught a narrow victory in the third game. Paul came to his feet and grabbed my hand in true gesture of the gentleman he is and congratulated me for the victory.

I went back to the front tables where Ox Baker was facing The Destroyer in the semi-main event. Ox was singing and trying to distract everybody in the room, especially his opponent. As luck would have it, Ox won the best two out of three fall event. He looked at me with an evil grin and asked if I just wanted to give him the trophy.

I told him that I would not go down in defeat that easily, as I had come too far. I shook his hand and told him, "May the BEST MAN WIN." Ox and I played very gently the first game, and he won by a short margin of pins. I was lucky to win the second fall and took a two-minute breather to get a coffee and regroup myself.

I was lucky, getting a 20-count hand and 16 in the crib to start the game off, as it gave me almost a board advantage on Ox. Being the shrewd player that he is, he began to play more defensively and gathered more points as he progressed, but he was not able to catch me until I was in the last 30 points of the game.

The final hand came and went, and Ox rose from his chair and grabbed me in a viselike grip of a bear hug and proclaimed, "YOU’RE THE BEST THIS YEAR, BUT I WILL BE BACK!" As I looked at my watch, it was 6:10, and the bar had just opened for the banquet. I had to hurry up and get back to my suite and shower and change clothes and be back by 6:30.

The banquet room always has a certain amount of elegance to it when there is a packed house. There is always noise coming from tables celebrating various things. Flashbulbs going off and acceptance speeches being reviewed.

I was very fortunate to be seated with Gene and Mrs. LeBell, and Mike and Mrs. Martello were among the 10 people at the table. Gene was constantly getting one-liners out of his memory banks, and I was trying to outdo them, but a master is always at his best when he is challenged.

The evening began with a prayer from Rev. Juan Hernandez, and a wonderful meal ensued. With salads and prime rib and dessert to follow, I actually stuffed myself for the first time in four days.

As J.J. Dillon took to the stage to be the M.C. for the event, I could tell that this was going to be an exceptional evening to remember. Father Jason Sanderson and Tom Burke were first to come aboard, and they began the duty of calling out the roster of names of the departed fraternity that had left this earth since the last CAC.

Not one person broke the silence as those names were read. I got emotional and began to cry when they called out Black Angus, Kay Noble, Maria Bernardi and Dick Moody, as they had been good friends of mine despite what had happened to us professionally.

As I looked around the room, I again saw big men with tears rolling down their cheeks and women grabbing at handkerchiefs to dry the tears away. The session ended in a moment of silent prayer for all departed and also for the members who couldn't attend due to illness. I remembered Lord Littlebrook and Sputnik Monroe.

The memory of Vivian Vachon was the first to be honored, with a touching song and words from Paul and Maurice Vachon. Next was Alfred Ticineto, to do the honors for Bobby Shane. A super fan and a wonderful guy to speak to, Alfred put together a great adulation for the late Mr. Shane. Scott Schwartz was honored for his Reel member attributes. He starred in Oceans11 and many other films.

Karl Lauer was called back to the stage, where he was given an award for his 30-year involvement with the CAC. His wife was also given a special acknowledgement. Tom Andrews and I were called up to the stage next to honor Dr. Ken Ramey. Tom was one of the Interns that Ken managed in his long career.

Tom gave a very heartwarming speech where he talked about once almost giving the business up and Ken talking him out of it. He talked of their closeness as that of two brothers. I topped it off by speaking from my heart and relating a 40-year association with Ken and then calling him to the stage as the "Dr. of Friendship."

We were followed by Pepper Martin, Jessica Rogers, Killer Tim Brooks, Eddie Sharkey, Scott Casey, Mil Mascaras and Bill White. Larry Hennig and Nick Bockwinkel accepted for Verne Gagne, whose health prevented him from attending.

Harley Race put the icing on the cake by accepting the Iron Mike Mazurki award as the best in our business. Harley was very humble in accepting and never forgot his beginnings in Iowa and Missouri under the guidance of Gust Karras.

The Destroyer took the stage and gave Larry Hennig his award for winning the 2005 Cribbage tournament and proudly announced to the audience that the 2006 winner was his friend, Percival A. Friend. A roar went out from the Denver table and a lot of others as I accepted the beautiful plaque.

An auction was conducted by Larry Hennig for the benevolent fund. A beautiful belt buckle owned by the late Johnny Valentine brought over $400. A t-shirt from the Destroyer that included an autograph by Kay Noble and myself, among 50 others, brought over $200. Wrestling books donated by Gene LeBell brought in more money than they would have sold for initially. It just goes to show you what we will do when given a challenge to help out others.

So brought a close to the 41st CAC gathering of our Ring of Friendship. I started to leave and was so busy hugging and shaking hands that it took nearly an hour for me to reach the rear of the room. So many memories ... so many friends.

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