Newton 2005 Part Three

This past week, we said goodbye to Lord Alfred Hayes, who died on July 21. He is best remembered for his time spent on the WWF programs behind the microphone. He was equally as famous on the mats as a fierce combatant. He will be greatly missed. Rest in Peace, Alfred--Percival

As I left the induction area of the International Wrestling Institute & Museum, I was besieged by many people wanting pictures, autographs or just to speak to me. It left a good feeling in my heart that there are wrestling fans out there that remember Angus and me.

I spent nearly an hour trying to just get downstairs where the Dean Rockwell Library is and the Glen Brand Amateur and Olympic museum are. I made my way through a huge crowd that were snacking on refreshments provided by Dr. Pepper and the museum. I finally settled down to a studio session of Take Down Wrestling, hosted by Scott Casber and guest host Chuck Shockley.

They had been speaking to wrestling legend Larry "The Axe" Hennig. I was given a microphone and asked if I had any stories that I could relate to the listening audience about this superstar from Minnesota. I began by telling both announcers a story that had happened a number of years ago in Muscatine, Iowa ... just a little piece down the road from Newton.

I had been invited by the Minneapolis Office to bring my Japanese Tag Team Champions, Tokyo Joe and the Great Togo, to Muscatine. They were to face Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne in the semi-main event. As we entered the auditorium and came into the dressing rooms, a lot of the guys were going through warm-up exercises.

I then spoke of looking over on the far side of the dressing room, where Larry Hennig was. He had embarked on a warm-up routine that would have put many in the National Football League to shame. For nearly an hour, I told the audience, he did running in place ... squats ... and pushups between three chairs where he would physically lower his body between the chairs and then pull himself back into a huge arch above the chairs. He also did some pushups while against a wall upside down on his hands, pushing his entire body weight upwards.

I looked over at Larry and saw a gleam in his eye as I spoke of the warm-up. I then told Chuck and Scott that I asked Larry Hennig why he did all this to his body before going to the ring. Larry told me ... "Kid, if you don't warm up ... you might not get up tomorrow". That had been sound advice that has stuck with me for over 30 years.

As we closed the program, I added that I was very proud to be in Newton again to help honor the greats of our business that had made a household name for themselves. I then thanked everybody thus far that had made this another memorable weekend for me.

Larry shook my hand and asked if there was anything he could do for me. I said that I had wanted to play him a game of cribbage since seeing him defeat all the guys in Las Vegas at the CAC. He said it would be his pleasure, and we sat down at an empty table and started. Before you knew it, we had a standing room audience surrounding the table to see the game unfold before them.

I ended up getting a few good hands but was not able to topple the big oak and fell victim to Larry's expertise of the game. I was exhausted, and it was nearing 2 p.m., and I needed a short power nap. Fr. Jason Sanderson and I had agreed to travel together to the country club that evening.

I had returned to my suite on the hill and fell soundly asleep, only to be woken by the alarm at 5 p.m. It just didn't seem like I had slept for almost three hours, but my body felt better for the rest. I began to ready myself for the evening ahead. At 6 p.m., Fr. Sanderson picked me up in his rented car, and we traveled the short distance to the country club.

As we got out of the car, I noticed Mad Dog Vachon's Cadillac parked at the curb. It had a Nebraska personalized tag of KAT-DOG on the back, and Kathy Vachon was at the wheel. Fr. Jason and I went into the clubhouse and were met by Bev Chapman, who had been such a super help in keeping this 7th annual event in such good working order.

One by one, the great stars of our business, families and friends alike came through the doors to be a part of a special evening for seven legends. We had a social hour from 6 to 7 p.m., where many people went around the beautiful room and took pictures, collected autographs and just renewed friendships.

Following a very delicious meal, the formal inductions began. It started as it did in the morning with Mike LeBell opening the program up by accepting the Frank Gotch Award. He spoke about his many years in the wrestling business, also the martial arts and the motion picture industry, where he is still in demand. He also spoke about a new book that he had just released about his old friend Lou Thesz. Gene is a gifted athlete that has made more than a mark in our ranks.

Next came Mary Pesek, daughter of the late John Pesek. After introducing her entire table, which consisted of many members of the Pesek family, she began to speak of her father with a lot of pride. She also spoke of his involvement in Greyhound dogs, which he was a champion breeder of. She ended her nearly five-minute speech by thanking everyone that had been so kind as to remember her dad.

Danny Hodge, member of the class of 2000, was called to the podium to accept for Earl McCready, a man born in Canada and reared in Oklahoma. His speech was short and sweet about the great state of Oklahoma and the many fantastic athletes it had produced.

I was called to the center stage between Gene LeBell and Mike Chapman, director of the museum, to accept for Dr. Bill Miller. I began by talking about Bill's humble beginning into life on the Twin Pines Stock Farm in Fremont, Ohio. How he went on to graduate from Fremont-Ross school (he was honored posthumously in 1997 in their hall of fame), and how he went on to be a success at Ohio State, where he became Dr. Bill Miller, veterinarian.

Dr. Bill was honored in 1997 to the Ohio State Hall of Fame. The meeting of University officials had met the day before he died, and Bill never knew about the honor. He was one of six athletes that had lettered nine times during the history of the university. I ended my speech by humbly thanking the Miller family for giving me the pleasure of accepting this induction for them.

Mike Chapman accepted for Antonio Inoki, who was called back to Japan.

Jerry Brisco of Stillwater, Oklahoma came forward to accept for the only brother team to have been inducted into the museum's hall of fame. His brother Jack was inducted in the class of 2001. Jerry talked about going to the matches as a young guy and sitting in the rafters of the auditorium where he would watch the greats of our business perform. He told everybody what a great time he was having and that this would become a part of his lifelong memories of a wonderful business with so many friends in it.

Scott McLin again took the center spotlight and began to talk about Harley Race. He spoke of how this man had a following of one six-year-old kid in Iowa and that he went on to become an eight-time world champion of the National Wrestling Alliance. At the end of the nearly eight-minute introduction, Scott got very teary eyed and told the audience that he was that six-year-old kid and that his dream had come true of becoming friends with and seeing Harley inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Harley took the spotlight to standing room applause of friends and fans and gently said, "How can I top that introduction?" He spoke about his folks and also about Gust Karras, who had given him a start in the wrestling business. He spoke about the car accident that nearly left him a lifelong cripple. He overcame that and became a very highly honored professional that was part owner in the Heart of America promotion in Kansas City.

He concluded the evening by thanking the many people in the room, including Larry Hennig, Baron Von Raschke, Fritz Von Goering, Mad Dog Vachon, Bob Geigel and many others that had helped his career become as successful as it has been. He also thanked his wife B.J. for her support and two tables of the Race family who had come to honor him this evening.

Mike Chapman offered a short thank you to the sellout crowd and invited them to return to the museum often. This was Newton 2005, a time that will be always special to me.

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