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Original Publication Date: March 8, 2007 |
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In column #50, I
wrote about a fascinating and seemingly contradictory aspect of our
sport -- that being the fact that some of the best known
personalities in professional wrestling were not wrestlers; they
were managers. I paid homage to the best of the best: Bobby “The
Brain” Heenan, J.C. Dykes, Sir Oliver Humperdink, Captain Lou
Albano, Jimmy Cornette, J.J. Dillon, Jimmy
Hart, The Grand Wizard, Classy Freddie Blassie, Percy Pringle (aka
“Paul Bearer”), Playboy Gary Hart, and Dr. Ken Ramey.
I
was a wrestling aficionado from the age of fourteen. I was a big
fan of most of these managers for years before I personally entered
the professional wrestling business. I watched Bobby Heenan, J.C.
Dykes, Gary Hart, Classy Freddie Blassie and Dr. Ken Ramey regularly
on "live" televised wrestling shows. Before cable TV was available
in my little hometown of Burlington, North Carolina, I erected the
highest and most powerful television antenna the county had ever
seen. I would precisely aim that enormous aerial toward far-away
stations and bring in wrestling shows that my fellow Burlingtonians
(or whatever they called themselves) didn’t even know existed. As a
fourteen-year-old wrestling fan, I fantasized about someday actually
meeting my TV heroes. Little did I know that within less than seven
years, I would not only meet these amazing stars, but I would also
share dressing rooms, travel, work in the ring and even do
occasional televised interviews with them. One such gentleman was
the amazing Dr. Ken Ramey.
Ken Ramey has done just about everything there is to do in the
wrestling business. He achieved international star status, however,
as the manager of the masked Interns, a brilliantly talented top
main-event tag-team for ten years. Recently,
I ran into Dr. Ramey at the yearly CAC Wrestlers Reunion and
Awards Dinner in Las Vegas, Nevada. Because my Hollywood-based
company, APS Entertainment, is developing a feature film based on
late 1970s/early 1980s professional wrestling, our director of
photography, Peter Redford, was there at the event filming. I had
the opportunity to interview several of my wrestling
heroes-turned-“coworkers”-turned-friends. One of those on-camera
interviews was with my friend Dr. Ken Ramey. Ken and I talked about
the “good old days,” the camaraderie and sense of family that
existed in the wrestling business, and how sad it was that the sport
we knew and loved has been replaced with “sports entertainment.” We
reminisced, joked, and revealed our “mutual admiration society”
respect for one another. “If you had ever allowed me to manage
you,” Dr. Ramey said, “I would have made you World Champion.” I
wholeheartedly agreed with him. “And, I should have been!” I said,
nodding my head in agreement. I had everything going for me …
except the world’s greatest manager.” Ken smiled broadly.
We
spoke of his amazing team, the world-famous Interns. Beneath their
white masks, they were two amazingly talented wrestlers and great
gentlemen, Tom Andrews and Jim Starr. During the interview, Dr.
Ramey said, “They’re both here.” “You’re kidding,” I responded.
“You don’t mean to tell me that the Interns are both here in Vegas
in this building right now?” “They are indeed,” was Ken’s proud
response. “Could we get them on camera? Could I continue the
interview with you and the Interns?” I asked excitedly. “Why,
absolutely,” was Ken’s welcome reply. I was going to be the first
person in over twenty years to interview the team together – Dr. Ken
Ramey and both of his Interns! Three of my wrestling
heroes-turned-coworkers-turned-friends, on camera with me! This was
going to be great!
In case you missed any of my original interviews with Dr. Ramey,
they are reprinted on my website:
www.HollywoodSuccess.com.
Just click on the “Wrestling Revue” link in the upper left-hand
section. Dr. Ramey’s interviews were featured in columns #50 and
#51. But, now we continue with … The Dr. Ken Ramey & The Interns
Interview: Part III:
The
camera was rolling. Dr. Ken Ramey and I had been talking about the
wrestling business and how dramatically it has changed over the
years. We were talking about Pat Patterson, the former United
States Heavyweight Champion and Vice President of Vince McMahon’s
monolithic WWE “sports entertainment” business. “When I was talking
with Pat,” I continued, “I asked him, ‘Is it still fun? Is the
wrestling business still fun?’ Until that time, he was really
smiling and happy. But, when I asked him that question, he looked
at me as though he were in deep thought, and there was sadness in
his eyes. He said, ‘No, it’s not what it used to be, Rock. There’s
very big money now, but it’s not what it used to be.’ I hesitated
and thought for a moment. Then, with a twinkle in my eye, I said,
‘Pat, let’s get back in the ring again!’ Although I could tell he
would love to compete again, Pat said, ‘No. Maybe you, but not
me.’ As you know, Ken, wrestling is in our blood. Every
ex-wrestler wants to wrestle again. It’s always in our blood and
always will be.” Dr. Ramey said, “I’ve been in the ring from the
50s all the way up to 2000. I just received an award in Mobile, the
Pioneer’s Award. And, I told them, ‘If there’s any way possible, in
2010 I’m going to get back in that ring.’ Then I can say I worked
in that ring for seven decades, from the 50s all the way through
2010."
I was impressed with Ken’s goal, commitment, and passion. “I want
to see that happen,” I said. “And, I also made a decision
recently. I’m going to climb back into the ring one more time.” I
smiled. “I have something in mind for later this year which will be
a big surprise for a lot of people. The wrestling is in my blood,
and this is a great excuse to get back into shape.” Ken
understood. “Just like printer's ink is with the newspaper people,”
he explained, “Once it gets in the blood, it’s there for life.”
“Absolutely,” I added. “There’s not a wrestler alive, no matter how
far past his prime, who doesn’t dream of being in the ring again.”
I looked into Dr. Ramey’s eyes and then spoke to the camera. “Our
film is going to show people all over the world what our business
was, what the camaraderie was, what that strong sense of family and
commitment and purpose was. We’re going to take the audience inside
the world of professional wrestling – professional wrestling as it
was in the ‘good old days.’” Dr. Ramey nodded his head with a smile
on his face. Although not verbalized, his face very clearly said,
“Thank you.”
Until next week, keep those e-mails coming.
