Old School Fans Talk

[rhodesfan]

Mr . Simmons I guess you saw different bookers come and go. Would you like to share who you like to work with and who you didn't ,why,etc. I'm still hoping you might entertain us with a road story or two.Everyone have a bleesed day.

[Bobby Simmons]

I worked for Tom Renesto, Harley Race, George Scott, Gene Andeson, Ole Anderson and the list goes on and on. In Georgia working in the office I worked with a lot of bookers, not for them.
Robert Fuller, Louie Tillet, Jody Hamilton, Buck Robley, and Bill Watts were just some of the bookers and assistant bookers that passed through. Each had their own qualities and I did not dislike any of them. Tom Renesto was a craftsmen at his trade. He always looked down the road and knew where he wanted to get to. I have watched him work out a two month program while riding down the highway. Jody Hamilton was the same way. He had a mind like a steel trap. Very quick and knows the business inside and out. Ole was a pain to get along with. He was loud and very demanding. As a referee he was always on us to do better. I learned from him and that helped me hone my craft. As the office manager we did not always see eye to eye, but I admired him because we always knew where we stood with each other on issues that mattered.
I refuse to throw anyone under the bus. Some bookers were very good in smaller territories but they were not equipped to handle GCW. We were unique in the day because of the TV.
This wasn't because they were not good at what they did they were just overwhelmed by it. They would never admit that but it was the truth. Harley Race was the booker when I went to work for GCW in November of 1974. He was good to me and I enjoyed my time working for him. I also was able to continue our working relationship as Jim Barnett booked the NWA Champion and I would talk with Harley on a regular basis.
Bill Watts was a stockholder in GCW. He would come in from time to time to help when we were changing bookers.
He was loud, demanding, and a perfectionist. There was only one way to do it and that was his way. He was great at what he did. It was his brain child for the Champion of Champions Cup.
My favorite booker was just an asst. booker but had more ideas he never got credit for then anyone I have known. He was dependable, fun to work with and is a good friend to this day.
Ron West was Ole's asst. booker for many years. When Ole would not want to deal with something, Ron was always there.

Bobby

[rhodesfan]

Thanks for the reply. I respect that you will not throw anyone under the bus. Ron West was well liked by me and most fans that I have talked to.Always enjoyed his work.I did not think about the the reff. much back in the day but I know understand how on top ot their game thay had to be.Much respect to the 3rd man in the ring.

[dannygoddard]

Now I have nowhere near the stories of roadtrips as Bobby does, but I do have one or two. I was about 13 years old and fan club president for Sputnik Monroe. My Dad took me to Florida to visit Sputnik for a few days. I was staying at a motel on Dale Mabry Blvd in Tamps. I think the street is now JFK Blvd. I looked out the window and saw Big Bill Dromo at the swimming pool. I decided to go out, said hey to Dromo, and started to swim, even though I didn't know how. Dromo finally came into the water, taught me a few lessons, and then we sat by the pool together. He asked where I was from and what was I doing there. I told him I was there for the wrestling. It caught him by surprise. I said, "I know you're Bill Dromo."

Sputnik invited me to go along on 2 roadtrips so that same afternoon his wife, Midge, picked me up at my motel and took me to a waiting silver station wagon at a mall parking lot. In front was Sputnik Monroe and Rocket (Maury High). Rocket was driving. I climbed into the back seat with Bill Dromo and Gentleman Saul Weingeroff, the manager of the Monroe Brothers. We drove to Eau Gallie. I'll never forget how Dromo picked on Weingeroff, punching him, tormenting him. Saul kept threatening to put me between them.

We drove quite a ways then stopped for dinner at a restaurant. We went in, looked around, and spotted Gorilla Marconi who was holding a table with several chairs. We joined him. A little bit later I noticed Terry Funk and his tag partner (Can't remember who it was) at the front door looking around. I thought, "Oh no, if they see us and the Monroes spot them, they may go at it right here in the restaurant!" To my surprise, the two babyfaces came and joined us! They acted like old friends!
We left and got to the arena in Eau Gallie. The main event was a Texas Death Match or some such bout between the Monroes and Terry Funk and his partner! It turned into a blood bath! I was trying to figure all this out!

The next day, Midge picked me up again, delivered me to the same waiting car, the same foursome inside. We headed to Jacksonville. Dromo picked on Saul all the way. Saul begged him to stop punching on him. The Monroes successfully defended their World Heavyweight Tag Title and "Wild" Bill Dromo, a heel, took on Lou Thesz for the NWA World Title. I remember Dromo attacking Thesz with the microphone before he got into the ring, wrapping the cord around his throat. This was not the Dromo I had seen in Atlanta!

That night we left the Jacksonville Coliseum with squalling tires as a crowd of irate fans pelted our car with Coke bottles. We stopped not far down the road for some snacks. As we got back into the car, Rocket asked me to hold something for him and he laid in my lap 2 heavy gold World Tag Team Championship belts! I slept under those belts all the way back to tampa, quite a deal for a 13-year old!

[rhodesfan]

WOW!!! Danny, just freaking WOW! What a story and you were 13.I' sure you will always treasure this memory. Thats cool! Also I didn't know Dromo ever was a heel. I saw him a few years ago at a indy show in Villa Rica ,GA. He's getting old but looks good.

[nickgulasmark]

I HAD READ THER OTHER DAY THAT MIKE JACKSON HAD LOST THE ALABAMA JR HVYWT. TITLE AND HE HELD IT LIKE 30 YEARS OR SO...WELL BOUT COUPLE YEARS AGO HE LOST IT TO DAFFNEY IN A MAN VS WOMAN ANGLE FOR WRESTLEBIRMINGHAM..AS FAR AS CHILDHOOD STUFF ..I REMEMBER SEEING JACKIE FARGO VS THE SHIEK OR LIKE LUKE GRAHAM AND JACKIE FARGO VS SHEIK AND ABBY...WHEN I WAS A KIDS WE SAT RINGSIDE AND RANDY SAVAGE WAS WRESTLING THE MEXICAN ANGEL AND THEY WANTED TO RUN EACH OTHER INTO OUR SECTION OF SEATS AND ALL I REMEMBER SAYING WAS KEEP GOING, BECAUSE I WAS SLOW IN TRYING TO GET UP...MAINLY WED GO EVERY MONDAY AND ONE NITE NICK GULAS DID PUT ON A GEROGIA WRESTLING NITE IN BIRMINGHAM...ALL I REMEMBER IS RUFUS R JONES BEAT OLE ANDERSON IN LIKE 10 SECONDS... OH AND DUSTY CAME AND TEAMED WITH ROBERT FULLER AGAINST THE SHEEPHERDERS ONCE...IN BETWEEN THE GULAS YEARS AND SOUTHEASTERN YEARS WE HAD CURTIS MCKENZIE AS A PROMOTOR AND HE RARELY HAD BIG NAMED TALENT BACK THEN...I MISS THE OLD DAYS WHEN YA LOOKED FORWARD TO RESERVING YA SEATS AND ACTUALLY GOING...NOW WHEN WRESTLING COMES TO YA TOWN ITS LIKE THE RINGLING BROTHERS CIRCUS ...THE TRAVELING SHOW..YOU SEE IT ONCE WITH 4 MINUTE MATCHES AND NOTHING EXCITING HAPPENING... BTW I WANNA VENT ON TNA..I THINK THE NATURE BOY #3 SHOULDVE BEEN ROBERT ROODE, AJ IS TOO NICE A GUY FOR THAT ROLE...AND SECONDLY TNA WILL NEVER BEAT VINCE WITH THE OLD GUYS THEY KEEP PUSHING... I MAY MAKE LOTS MAD BUT... THE NWO IS DEAD, LET IT STAY DEAD AND JUST START PUSHING YOUNGER GUYS LIKE NIGEL AND DANIELSON... IF TNA GOES ON MONDAYS THINKING IM GONNA WIN WITH OLD GUYS, IT WON'T SUCCEED...IT WILL DIE LIKE WCW

[rhodesfan]

Thanks for the Alabama memories. I don't watch or care for WWE product. I do watch TNA,its ok at best,not great.You're right they will never beat Vince.I hope they at least survive. There needs to be a choice out there for the fans.There was the great Smoky Mountain Wrestling and the 90's ECW but for the most part wrestling died for me in 1989.Vince has a huge fan base today,I just don't get why.Today wrestling is clips of old school wrestling and forums like this.Wish we could go back to the days GCW but like many things from youth you can't go back.

[rhodesfan]

How big was the building in Birmingham and how well did they draw?

[Bobby Simmons]

Years ago they The Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham.
If I remember correctly it would hold between 3500/4000 people.
It was built very similar to the Atlanta auditorium just not as big.
Danny's story about the Monroe's is a classic. Rocket is one of the dearest friends I have in the world. We have traveled many miles together in the business and spent countless hours just enjoying each others company. He is by far one of the funniest people I have ever met. Bill Dromo is another person I call friend. Bill and I were honored together by the Cauliflower Alley Club two years ago and it was a great honor for me. Not only to be recognized but to be mentioned in the same breath with Bill Dromo. He wrestled on the first card I ever went to as a kid.
Not many people are as blessed as I am to be able to say my heroes have become my friends. I have some funny Rocket stories, I'll try to share a couple over the next few days.

Bobby

[dannygoddard]

I know Bobby has some great Rocket stories. While he's getting ready to share, let me tell one more of mine. I went to Nashville to attend college even though I was four years late. I had been called to preach in a wrestling ring in LaGrange, GA (whole story is on dannygoddard.com). While there, Rocket Monroe came to the Gulas territory to work and he was going to do Nashville TV early one Saturday morning. He called me and asked if he could stay with me in my dorm room that Friday night. It just so happened that my roommate was away for the weekend so I opened the door wide to my good friend.

In our dorm, there was a suite for four rooms surrounding one bathroom. All the guys who lived in the suite were out. Rocket went out of my room to the bathroom that night and when he came back, he was smoking a big cigar! I said, "Rocket! You can't do that here!" He asked, "Do what?" I said, "Smoke! It's against the rules!" "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, and put it out.

The next morning we got up and Rocket said goodbye and left for TV. I was a bit relieved that no one had seen him during the night. Just a minute after he left, there was a knock at my door. I thought Rocket had forgotten something. I opened the door and standing there were three college students. I was acquainted with them but didn't really know them. One with wide eyes asked, "Did Rocket Monroejust come outr of your room?" I said, "Who?" He said, "Rocket Monroe-the one on TV. Did he just come out of your room?" I said, "Now fellas, think about it-what would Rocket Monroe be doing in my room?" He said, "I guess we were mistaken," and they left!

[rhodesfan]

I found out a older friend of mine is a wrestling fan. He told me that he remembers the night Mario Galento grabed a beer bottle from a fan and busted open one of the Monroes in Atlanta,Sputnik I think he said. Galento was before my time. It just shows how much we were into old school. I watched TNA tonight and I couldn't tell you happened. But much like my friend I can remember things I saw in wrestling from 30 to 40 years ago,much like it happened yesterday.Unlike today you cared about the matches.

[michaelbauman]

Danny, Great story about Florida Wrestling on Sputnik & Rocket Monroe, Gentleman Saul, Bill Dromo, Terry Funk and some others. That was back in 1967. Glad you have great times over there. I want to talk about old days of pro wrestling of 1950`s to early 1980`s too. i don`t care about middle 1980`s pro wrestling to 2010 current wrestling. All my wrestling collection has 1945 to 1985 and that it. I have lots of posters, programs, magazines, picutres, autographs and more. :)
Danny, I wrote a message to you on right here on GWH about 2 years ago ( I think ) and I told you about Monroes Fan Club Newsletters that I still have them. You told me you want to show them to your son some day. I will be glad to make photocopies of them and mail them to you.
Sorry about your loss of wrestling collection that you used to have them. That was terrible.
I still have 1969 Wrestling Revue magazine that has pictures of Bloody Sputnik Monroe with one of the title belts, Cora Combs,
Rip Hawk & Swede Hansen on the front cover. Inside, there were story and pictures of The Monroes with Gentleman Saul and plus you with Sputnik Monroe. There were taken in Miami, Florida at The Miami Beach Auditorium.
Rhodesfan, Hi, I need to talk to you. Are you going to Legendsmania show on March 12 and March 13 in Atlanta ?

[rhodesfan]

Hey Michael,good to hear from you again. I'm not sure if I'm working or not that weekend.Most likely will not know until that week. But if I do I will send you a message. I aways enjoy looking at your programs,you have some really rare stuff and you're a true fan.If you ever get where you can post some of your stuff online it would be great.Take care man.

[dannygoddard]

Just talked with Rocket Monroe tonight on the phone. He's doing great after receiving a pacemaker a couple of weeks ago. It was good to hear his voice.

[Bobby Simmons]

Rocket and me used to travel together a lot. We stopped at a truck stop one night on the way home to eat. The place was packed with drivers so we sat at the counter on a couple of stools. Over the the counter on the back wall was a chilled display case with the best looking strawberry pie you have ever seen. I ordered a slice and when the waitress brought it to me Rocket's eyes lit up. He was always on some kind of diet so naturally he was just gonna watch me eat my pie with his mouth watering. He said, "If I wasn't on this diet I could eat that whole pie". The waitress overheard him and said' I can get you piece with no calories", to which Rocket replies bring me a slice of that no calorie pie. She knew she had a live one and brought him that pie with so much whipped cream you could not see the pie. I was trying very hard not to laugh. He took a huge bite and the light went on. He turns to me and says, "I must be the biggest idiot that has ever took a breath".
I told him; Well now that you mention it"......the waitress and me rolled on the floor laughing at him.
And the diet? It went on hold because he not only ate that pie he licked the plate clean..........

Bobby