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Originally Published: March 9, 2006 |
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Walter M. Williams
High School -- Burlington, North Carolina: It was a very special
day for me. I was seventeen years old and I was about to be
graduated from high school. No, it wasn’t special because of the
graduation. It was special because I was about to be liberated! As
soon as I had the diploma in my hands, I dumped my cap and gown and
bolted for my car. The white Cadillac convertible had been packed
for over three weeks, and now, thankfully, I was finally
heading out of the state. I was finally getting away from the
small-town thinking. I was finally getting out of that strait
jacket! I drove for over 20 hours, ending up in West Palm Beach,
Florida. Wow, an ocean! And, people who could speak English
(“could you put it here, please” as opposed to “put er rat cheer”).
A place that had professional bodybuilding gyms, judo and karate
dojos, and even an ex-professional wrestler who was willing to coach
me. This place was full of opportunity, and that was all I ever
wanted.
I decided to go to
college there. I completed my studies in three years, by going
year-round, and received my degree in criminology and law
enforcement. I did some private detective, bodyguard and
surveillance work to put myself through school, but my main focus
was on wrestling -- professional wrestling.
I never studied in
college. I didn’t need to; I could pass by simply paying attention
in class. Plus, I wasn’t willing to waste the time. I had to
concentrate on bodybuilding, martial arts, and wrestling. In three
years, I added a solid 75 pounds of muscle to my 5’10½” frame. I
would wrestle my first ever professional match at a solid 222
pounds.
It was my senior year
of college. I had contacted the wrestling promotion in Florida, and
eventually made an appointment to meet with the promoters -- inside
the terminal at Tampa's International Airport. I showed them my
ring attire – my velvet ‘Mr. Wonderful’ robes, sequined jackets,
multi-colored tights and trunks, and my custom-designed orange and
black wrestling boots. I knew they had already noticed my bleached
blond hair and suntan. I was confident that I was ready, but they
didn’t seem to be overly impressed.
There was a wrestler
with them, Billy Blue River. He had a deep cut across his forehead
with about eighteen stitches in it. “You really want to get in this
business, kid?” he asked. He pointed to his forehead. “You really
willing to endure this kind of pain?” I said, ‘of course.’ -- “You
know how this happened?” he continued. “I got cut with a carpet
knife. Lost a lot of blood. Referee never saw the knife. Cost me
a lot. Wrestlers can’t buy insurance, you know.” What he said
didn’t faze me at all. “Okay,” I thought. “There’s pain in the
wrestling business; if it gets a little extreme at times, so be
it.” Later I discovered that he and the promoters were all testing
me to see how serious I was. Apparently I was serious and
passionate enough, because they offered me my first professional
wrestling match! It would happen the day after I was graduated from
college.
Now a college
graduate at the advanced age of twenty, I drove for over six hours
to accept my initiation into the world of professional wrestling.
My first professional match would be a tag-team main event which
would prove to be memorable. I had never been in a wrestling ring
before. When I was thrown into the ropes, I didn’t bounce off as
expected. No, I went through the ropes, backwards, landing
upside-down on my head on the concrete. Much to the amazement of
the wide-eyed wrestlers and the fans, I quickly got up and climbed
back into the ring. The match went well, for my first ever
appearance, and my partner and I were victorious. Amazingly enough,
my opponent was Billy Blue River, the wrestler I had met months
earlier in the Tampa airport. My partner had beaten Blue River and
simply tagged me in so I could cover him. “No, too easy,” I
thought. “I’ll give him a flying elbow drop before I pin him.” I
was told that Blue River saw stars for quite a while after the match
ended.
After I had showered
and dressed, I received my "payoff" for the event -- in cash! All
five dollars of it. I was elated. Not only had I been initiated
into the world of professional wrestling, but I was main event, I
won, I was able to walk away under my own power, and I was even paid
for it! And, I was only 20 years old. This could very well
be the beginning, I surmised, of an amazing dream-come-true
wrestling career.
I went on to wrestle
most of the world’s top stars, including Lou Thez, Andre the Giant,
Pat Patterson, Ray Stevens, Jerry Lawler, Haystacks Calhoun, Ric Flair, Harley
Race, Vern Gagne, Red Bastien, Jack Brisco, Dory and Terry Funk, Ted
DiBiase, John Tolos, The Iron Sheik, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, "Judo"
Gene Lebell, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Gorgeous George Jr., Greg
Valentine, Mando & Chavo Guerrero, Don Muraco,
Pedro Morales, Superstar Billy Graham, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka,
Dusty Rhodes, and hundreds more. Many amazing stories
concerning these veterans, along with the current wrestling stars,
will be shared with you in this column. I will help you step into
the world of professional wrestling. Next week you’ll experience
what it’s like to be in the dressing room and in the ring; and
you’ll gain insight into the extreme humor of the "boys."
