CWF #16 Page #2
Eric
spent the summer of 1972 working indies in and around Toronto for Gene "The
Canadian Wildman" Dubois and faced such talent as ex-CFL star Angelo Mosca,
Vic Rossitani, and Prince Pullins. By October he was back with Martinez
full-time, and with cigar-chomping Tony Angelo as his manger, his biggest push
to date began under the moniker Eric The Animal.
On February 17, 1973, Eric scored a huge victory when he defeated Johnny
Powers for the NWF North American Title in Buffalo. In a controversial and
bloody TV angle, Eric blasted both Jacques and Raymond Rougeau with his
whalebone, resulting in a string of title defenses against Jacques. He made a
short trip to the Maritimes in June, and was also headlining Toronto shows,
which culminated with an NWA Title match against Jack Brisco on September 23.
Eric also made several mid-card appearances for Ed Farhat in Detroit, his most
memorable bout being a loss to Dick the Bruiser on April 27, 1974.
Eric continued to work the Cleveland-Buffalo
circuit through 1974, wrestling legends such as Ernie Ladd and Bobo Brazil. He
toured Japan during February and March as a top heel, losing to Antonio Inoki in
several NWF Title matches. Eric
also worked several indies in the Ontario, Canada area, wrestling familiar names
like Luis Martinez and Dewey Robertson. In early 1975, Eric made his first trip
to the south, wrestling for an independent promotion based out of Columbus,
Georgia. “When Gunkel Enterprises got torpedoed by one of its members,”
recalled wrestler Dick Steinborn, “I was left holding the bag as the promoter
in Columbus Georgia. Now, with no men supplied to me from Atlanta, I decided to
go independent. After 2 weeks of this being on the grapevine, Ernie Ladd called
me from Houston and offered his partnership on what was to be a new promotion
starting from scratch. I had met TV production companies in Atlanta, and made
arrangements to film my matches in the surrounding towns. I had Ed Capral on my
payroll, and Ladd wanted in. Unbeknownst
to me, Ernie sent Eric the Red to my doorstep. I paid him $550 a week, because I
could see a future with him and Ernie doing great business wherever our TV show
went. Unfortunately it was the wintertime and too many hands were out looking
for a payday and I could see where it would be a struggle and a financial loss
up front. Just about that time, Pedro Martinez called me, wanting to use my
building to film 5 hours of tapes. I agreed, and made $3,200 for my effort.
Martinez and Einhorn hired Eric away from me and I lost my heel. So I joined the
IWA also. What a story that was. I believe Eric left because he found out how
everyone else was on tremendous guarantees and he could only see where he was a
fill in. At least that is what I presumed.”
Eric
was a main event heel for the fledgling IWA promotion, a joint effort between
Pedro and Ron Martinez and wealthy sports magnate Eddie Einhorn. Managed by
George “Crybaby” Cannon, Eric wrestled IWA Champion Mil Mascaras in several
cities during the 1975 tour that promoted shows across the United States.
Eric’s highest profile match for the group came at their August 7, 1975 show
in Jersey City at Roosevelt Stadium, when Eric lost to 59-year-old Lou Thesz. By
the end of 1975, The IWA was struggling to stay afloat, with Einhorn and his
money gone from the organization. The IWA was reduced to a regional promotion,
concentrating solely in the Carolinas, and now being run by Johnny Powers. Eric,
finding it arduous to get work, as so many that had defected to the IWA had,
stayed with the group. He also made occasional trips to Canada, where his former
manager, George Cannon, was now promoting indies.
Discovering
just how difficult it was to get another shot in the U.S. because of his IWA
connection, Eric ventured in the fall of 1976 to Puerto Rico where he became a
huge draw for the World Wrestling Council. Eric was a double titleholder for the
group, holding the Puerto Rican and WWC North American Titles. He also had a
wild feud with the island’s top star, Carlos Colon, which resulted in several
riots. Eric exited Puerto Rico in April 1977, working small shows in and around
Toronto. By the end of the year, Eric debuted in Dallas for WCCW, staying a
couple of months and wrestling the Von Erichs in main events throughout the
territory. In the spring of 1978, Eric ventured into the Tri-State area, again
becoming one of the group’s lead heels. He quickly formed an alliance with The
Assassin (Jody Hamilton) and engaged in a bloody feud with Randy Tyler that
lasted several months. By early July, Eric was turned babyface when The Assassin
and his new partner, The Brute (Bugsy McGraw), attacked him on TV. With Steven
Little Bear as his partner, Eric faced The Assassin and The Brute at the
Louisiana Superdome on July 22, 1978 in front of a recorded 31,000 in
attendance. Eric would feud with The Brute in gimmick matches around the horn,
resulting in Eric dropping a loser-leaves-town match the last week of September.
Exiting Oklahoma was a blessing in disguise, as The Great Dane was headed for
sunnier days, and his debut for Championship Wrestling From Florida was just
around the corner.
The weekly Florida wrestling program, The
Grapevine, trumpeted the arrival of the big Viking. “Recently we’ve received
word that a man known as Eric The Red will soon be on the scene, and that he is
making no bones about his purpose in being here. Eric is a big fellow. Three
hundred pounds, and solid. He is of Nordic extraction and reportedly very proud
of his Viking ancestry. In this regard, it is interesting to note that the
original Eric The Red lived about a thousand years ago. He was renowned as a
rogue and an outlaw for most of his life, as was his father before him. The
contemporary Eric The Red seems to have retained his ancestor’s fierce nature,
while becoming somewhat more inclined to appreciate the value of money. A
Norseman does not, after all, come to Florida in warm weather because he can’t
cut the cold, but a Viking mercenary might sail into any waters if the prospect
for plunder is to his liking. From what we’ve heard about Eric The Red his
reputation is well earned. He is big—and vicious—enough to do a number on
just about anybody.”
Eric made a successful CWF debut at the Miami
Jai-Alai Fronton on October 4, defeating Phil Mercado. Two nights later on
October 6, Eric would thrash Steve Brody in Ft. Lauderdale. Sonny King, the top
heel manager in the state, quickly recruited Eric to join his “family,”
which also included one of the state’s legendary heels, Pak Song. “A man of
my genius should not have to undertake physical pursuits,” explained King.
“I will communicate with Pak Song the same way that I communicate with Eric
The Red, through the universal language—and baby, I ain’t talkin’ about
love! The universal language is money. Long green. Filthy lucre. When I make
arrangements to manage a wrestler, it has got to be understood that I handle the
green stuff and make the decisions.” Thus, Song and Eric became the first two
members of King’s family.
Eric,
less concerned with winning his matches then destroying his competition,
defeated Rick Oliver on October 9 in West Palm Beach, lost by disqualification
to Steve Brody on October 10 in Tampa, and lost by disqualification to Jim
Garvin on October 11 in Miami. In an interview with The Grapevine, Eric
discussed his relationship with King and Song. “I am here because this is
where I want to be,” stated Eric. “Some of the biggest favorites in
professional wrestling come here often—people like Dusty Rhodes, Rocky
Johnson, Wahoo McDaniel, and the Briscos. It’s very simple. He (King) made me
an offer I couldn’t refuse. At no time do I have to take orders from anybody.
Sonny King is a good manager and a good manager can be a real asset. He knows
not to treat me like some underling. Pak Song is a rugged individual, just like
me. I don’t understand much of what he says and he doesn’t understand much
of what I say, but I get the distinct impression that we think very much
alike.”
The
pairing of Eric The Red and Pak Song proved to be successful, as ten days after
Eric’s CWF debut, they captured the Florida tag-team titles from Mike Graham
and Steve Keirn on October 14 in Lakeland. Two nights later in West Palm Beach,
Eric and Bobby Duncum lost to Keirn and Graham, when Duncum was pinned. The next
night in Tampa on October 17, Eric and Song defeated Eddie Graham and Killer
Karl Kox. At the television tapings in Tampa on October 18, Eric and Song beat
Rick Oliver and Prince Tonga, and later that evening in Miami, the Florida tag
champions defeated Killer Karl Kox and Steve Keirn in the main event. By all
accounts, Eric was receiving a huge push, with no losses by either pinfall or
submissions.
Steve
Keirn, who was Florida champion and one of the state’s biggest babyfaces,
suffered a broken leg during a match, sidelining him for five months. Never
missing a beat, this injury was quickly written into the CWF storylines. “Mike
and I were in the gym working out,” explained Steve Keirn to The Grapevine.
“Just the two of us. We’d come in early, when there was no one else around,
because we wanted to work on some moves I had in mind for Harley Race, and we
didn’t want anybody carrying any stories back to him. Anyway, Mike had to
leave for a few minutes, and no sooner had he gone out the door than Sonny King
and his crew of Eric the Red and Pak Song showed up. What can I tell you? By
myself, I never had a chance. I’ve got a broken leg, but I guess I’m lucky
to be alive!”
Eric
continued to face the best CWF had to offer. He teamed with Song to defeat
Killer Karl Kox and Mike Graham on October 23 in West Palm Beach, and defeated
Kox by disqualification the next night in Tampa after being tossed over the top
rope. At the television taping in Tampa the next afternoon, Eric and Song
defeated Prince Tonga and Sonny Driver. Later that evening, Eric teamed with The
Spoiler and Bobby Duncum, losing to Jerry Brisco, Jim Garvin, and Dusty Rhodes
in Miami on October 25. On a loaded card in St. Petersburg on October 28, Eric,
with partners Pak Song and Sonny King, lost a six-man elimination match to Kox
and The Grahams. But, Eric’s work wasn’t finished that night. He and King
interfered in the NWA Title match between Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes,
attacking Rhodes and costing him the match. Eric was now poised to feud with the
most popular wrestler in the country, Dusty Rhodes.
The
Tampa Tribune printed this report of the “Lights Out” match between Eric and
Rhodes, which took place in Tampa on October 31. “In the final event of the
evening, Dusty Rhodes and Eric The Red wrestled in a non-sanctioned match. After
challenging about everyone at ringside because of the presence of Sonny King in
Eric’s corner, when the bell sounded Rhodes seemed to fade under Eric’s
furious attack. Following a brief recovery, Rhodes was thrown out of the ring
and immediately attacked by Sonny King, then doubleteamed. Without the
intervention of Killer Karl Kox, it would have been all over for Rhodes. But
with Kox’s help, Sonny King was put out of the ring and the exhausted Rhodes
fell across the inert form of Eric The Red. The referee, Sonny “Glass Jaw”
Myers, who had been knocked unconscious, recovered in time to see the pin and
awarded the match to Rhodes. Time was 5:07.”
With a loss under his enormous belt, Eric would
go on a tear in the Sunshine State with a string of victories. The next
afternoon at the Tampa television tapings (November 1), Eric & Song defeated
Raul Mata and Prince Tonga, and the same evening in Miami Eric & Song beat
Killer Karl Kox and Mike Graham. In a Florida tag title match in Orlando on
November 5, Eric & Song defeated Dusty Rhodes and Kox. The next night in
West Palm Beach on November 6, Eric & Song beat Eddie Graham & Kox. The
Tampa Tribune printed this report of the main event match between Eric &
Song versus Rhodes and Kox in Tampa on November 7. “The lamb must surely have
lay down with the lion by now, and the Russians may, this very minute, be
beating their swords into plowshares. For it has come to pass that arch rivals
Killer Karl Kox and Dusty Rhodes teamed up last night at Fort Homer Hesterly
Armory against Eric The Red and Pak Song. Rhodes and Kox wasted no time getting
started, and charged their opponents as soon as they entered the ring. Their
surprise attack caught Eric and Pak Song off- guard apparently, and for a few
minutes Rhodes and Kox dominated the match. Their tactics, however, were
building up a head of steam in their opponents, which was soon to explode. The
explosion came when Eric caught Kox with fingers in the eyes and opened the way
for some double-teaming by the challengers. Eric and Pak Song continued to
double-team both Kox and Rhodes anytime the referee was not looking. When Rhodes
was attacked outside the ring and left unconscious on the floor, it was Kox’s
turn to erupt in anger. He entered the ring and attacked both Eric and Pak Song,
only to be raked across the eyes again. By this time Rhodes had come back into
the ring, bringing a chair with him, which Kox grabbed and planted on Eric’s
throat. The referee, seeing this infraction, stopped the match, disqualifying
Kox and Rhodes. Elapsed time: 7:06.”
The
next afternoon, November 8, at the television tapings in Tampa, Eric & Song
defeated Jimmy Garvin and Prince Tonga. That evening, at the Miami Jai-Alai
Fronton, in front of an announced crowd of 3,622, Eric and Song beat Rhodes and
Mike Graham by disqualification. It would be the last match that Eric would ever
wrestle. Flying back to the Tampa International Airport later that night,
Eric’s car stalled on West Hillsborough Boulevard in the Town ‘N Country
area. After telephoning for help, Eric tried to cross the median but was struck
by a vehicle headed east in the outside lane. Eric was thrown into the air and
his head struck the windshield of the car. He was taken to St. Joseph’s
Hospital suffering severe brain damage as well as numerous broken bones and
remained comatose until he passed away November 16, 1978. No charges were filed
against the driver. Eric, who was thirty-four years old, left behind a son, Jim
Hansen.
The Grapevine
printed a photo and this announcement in Volume I, Number 28 on the fourth page.
“Eric The Red, whose full name was Eric Hansen,
passed away on Thursday, November 16, just one week after being struck by an
automobile while crossing a Tampa street in the early morning hours. Eric never
regained consciousness after being hit, his condition worsening steadily despite
all efforts to help him. The sport of wrestling has lost a formidable athlete.
While Eric did not enjoy a great deal of personal popularity, he was feared and
respected by opponents and his public alike. Like his Nordic ancestors, he asked
no quarter and he granted none. Eric The Red will be remembered for his fierce
competitive spirit and his absolute lack of fear when facing opponents—a
fitting tribute to a Viking warrior.”
A Viking warrior, indeed.
Eric Hansen, RIP.
Special thanks to Dick Steinborn and George
“The Animal” Steele.
NEXT MONTH:
The Twenty-Five Greatest Angles In CWF History!
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