CWF #19 Page #2
“Tell
young Valentine that I’m not going to hold still for any snot-nosed punk
running his mouth about my manager and good friend, Beau James,” snarled
Stevens. “When I get close enough to
Valentine, I’ll hit him right in the mouth!” Stevens and Valentine
wrestled around the horn, with Stevens victorious on June 29 in Tampa, July 10
in St. Petersburg, and July 14 in Miami. Challengers were lining up to face
Stevens, and Beau James claimed responsibility with his earlier remarks.
“I thought it would get results,” said James, “that’s
why I chose to employ this particular strategy. There’s Jack Brisco, the
former world heavyweight champion. I guess that proves we’ve succeeded in
getting the attention of somebody important. Ken Lucas threw his hat in the
ring, and I’m sure everybody knows the kind of reputation he has.” James
and Stevens, however, were getting under the skin of just about everybody in CWF,
and the inevitable meeting with Dusty Rhodes wasn’t too far off.
Stevens proceeded to face the best that CWF had to offer the next several weeks, teaming with the Assassin (Jody Hamilton) in Miami on July 21 to defeat Jack Brisco and Ray Candy. On July 28 in Miami, Stevens again teamed with the Assassin, this time wrestling to a no decision with Dusty Rhodes and Candy. The team of Stevens and the Missouri Mauler (Larry “Rocky” Hamilton) faced Candy and Valentine in Miami on August 4, wrestling to a double disqualification. A week later in Miami on August 11, Stevens and the Mauler won the rematch.
After an incident in which
Stevens and James placed a chauffeur’s cap on the head of Ray Candy, a major
angle took place on the weekly CWF television show. As Candy held James down,
Rhodes took a pair of clippers and shaved his head. “I
think I made him look good,” said the American Dream. “I’m givin’ serious thought to sendin’ him a bill for
fifteen-twenty dollars!”
Ray Stevens was irate and
swore revenge on Rhodes. “Let’s get to
the point,” Stevens shouted,
“Dusty Rhodes and his chauffeur, Ray Candy, ganged up on Beau James when I
wasn’t around—well, dammit, you saw what they did! It was a cowardly act and
one that I’m not going to hold still for. Rhodes and Candy are going to pay
dearly for that caper. First of all Rhodes, I’m going to strip you of the
Florida heavyweight championship. I’m going to pound your fat body into the
mat and walk away with the belt. Rhodes, that caper will cost you your
title—and a lot more besides, because I’m going to see you carried out of
that ring on a stretcher!” Stevens teamed with the Assassin and the Mauler
on August 18 in Miami, but lost to Rhodes, Candy, and Valentine.
On August 24 in Tampa, Stevens and the Assassin defeated Candy and
Valentine. The following evening in Miami, Stevens and the Mauler lost to Rhodes
and Candy.
The feud between Stevens and
Rhodes intensified, with Stevens suspended by NWA President Eddie Graham for
attacking the American Dream during match. In a surprise twist, Rhodes
petitioned the NWA to have Stevens suspension lifted-and was successful. “I done went to the NWA,” crowed Rhodes, “and I layed it on the line. I
said I couldn’t wait no sixty days. I had to get him one way or another before
that, and they already told me they
did not want me to get into no more saloon fights. I told them Ray Stevens had
the suspension comin’ to him, but I wanted them to lift it so that I could get
him in the ring. I told them that if they didn’t let me get to Ray Stevens
nice and legal like, they might just as well suspend me, too, ‘cause I was
damn sure gonna go out and do somethin’ that would get me suspended!”
Stevens got his first shot at Rhodes’ Florida title in Miami on September 1,
losing by disqualification. In the rematch on Sept. 8 with the disqualification
rule waived, Rhodes pinned Stevens.
Stevens rebounded from the
loss to Rhodes with three straight victories in Miami, defeating Hiro Matsuda on
Sept. 15, Jan Nelson on Sept. 22, and Ray Candy on Sept. 29. In an angle
furthering the Stevens-Rhodes feud, Beau James interfered once again in a
Rhodes’ match, and was beaten so severely by the American Dream that he
claimed to be “hospitalized.” “You’ll
pay for this, fat man!” screamed Ray Stevens. “I’m
tired of messing around. From now on, I’m sending people to the hospital!
Dusty Rhodes, that fat puke from Austin, Texas injured my manager, Mr. Beau
James. If the National Wrestling Alliance isn’t going to do anything about
this, I am. I won’t be responsible for what happens to Dusty Rhodes!” Rhodes
defeated Stevens in two Florida title matches in Miami on October 6, and
Jacksonville on October 7. In both cases, the interference of Beau James had
backfired, costing Stevens the victories.
But, Stevens had other
pressing issues at hand. The NWA reversed its decision on the “bombs away”
and declared it illegal, citing the severity of injuries to wrestlers Mike
Pappas and Brian Kidd directly from the maneuver. James, who claimed to be the
driving force behind getting the maneuver reinstated in the first place, was
incensed. “What do these people think they are doing?” questioned James.
“Who do they think they are, handing down a prejudicial ruling like this? Ray
Stevens is an international star—he doesn’t need to hang around here and get
this shabby treatment! When you people couldn’t find a way to beat Ray
Stevens, you tried to get rid of him by outlawing his best hold!” Stevens
continued to lose matches due to the interference of James, and their
relationship was begging to show signs that it wouldn’t last. Stevens teamed
with the Mauler on October 13 in Miami, only to lose to Steve Keirn and Ray
Candy. On October 14 in Jacksonville, Stevens and the Assassin lost to Dusty
Rhodes and Ray Candy. In Miami on October 20, Stevens lost to Ray Candy.
The five-month union between
Stevens and James came to an abrupt halt during a taping of Championship
Wrestling From Florida in a match where Stevens faced Mike Graham. As Stevens
was trapped in Graham’s figure four and close to submitting, James pulled him
from the ring, causing referee Sonny Myers to disqualify Stevens immediately.
James tried to explain himself, but Stevens attacked his now former manager,
bodyslamming him several times. Just as Stevens was set to deliver a bombs away
on James, Mike Graham made the save, chasing Stevens from ringside.
“I pulled Ray Stevens out of the ring because Mike Graham had him beat!”
James declared. “I did what Stevens
would have expected me to do—I tried to bail him out. As it was, he got
disqualified, but that’s not my fault. I told him to be careful. I told him to
watch out for that figure four leglock. Do you think he’d listen to me? No
way. Not Mr. Know-It-All!”
Of course, Stevens had a
differing view on their split. “Beau
James is a half-witted jerk, and some other things you wouldn’t print if I
said them! I told him to just stay in his corner and mind his business and I’d
beat Mike Graham, but he had to butt in when hardass Sonny Myers was referee and
got me disqualified.” Stevens was also adamant that he could beat Mike
Graham in a rematch, and the stage was set for the next week on television.
Graham requested that the NWA rule Stevens’ “bombs away” legal for this
one bout. “Let him jump off the top rope
if he wants to,” argued Mike Graham. “If
he’s so dependent upon one illegal maneuver that he feels like he can’t get
along without it, let him use it! I’ll spot him his favorite trick just to get
him in the ring without having to listen to any more of his bellyaching!” The
match lasted less than ten minutes and Graham won convincingly with the figure
four. This was also the end of the line for Stevens, who packed his bags and
decided to wrestle elsewhere.
Stevens made two more tours
of CWF before finishing out his career. The first was in 1979 where, ironically,
he was co-holder of the Florida tag team title with Mike Graham. His second, and
final, tour of the state was in early 1982 when Ray captured the Florida
television title from Eric “Nitro” Embry. That too was ironic, considering
that Ray was the first ever TV champion some twenty-six years earlier. Ray
Stevens was legendary in and out of the ring for living life to the fullest. He retired from active competition in the late 1980s after a
career that spanned over four decades, and worked for both the AWA and WWF in
front office capacities. Stevens underwent quadruple-bypass surgery in 1995
while living in Minnesota, but even that failed to slow him down, as he
continued to live life on his terms. Carl Ray Stevens passed away May 3, 1996 at
the age of sixty years old from heart failure at his home in Fremont,
California. RIP.
Special
Thanks to Mike Norrid and Robert Vankavelaar.
NEXT MONTH:
The Feud That “Made” Steve Keirn!