My Introduction to CWF Live

I had been a wrestling fan since I was a very young boy in the mid 1970’s watching the AWA and WWA when I lived in the Chicago suburbs.  I had heard of other wrestling organizations through magazines such as The Wrestler but that was it.  I was the only wrestling fan in my family.  My dad and brother laughed at it and basically said I was wasting my time watching it. 

That did not deter me from watching every Saturday.  And, when we moved to Florida in the summer of 1978 I discovered Championship Wrestling From Florida and I was hooked!  I had heard of Dusty Rhodes through the wrestling magazines, which he seemed to grace almost every cover.  And, I had seen some highlights of Dusty teaming with the Crusher against AWA World Tag Team Champions Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens.  

Dusty was portrayed as larger than life in those magazines.  And, now seeing him every Saturday, I was hooked on this charismatic and brash superstar.  I was only 11 years old when I moved to Florida and a total mark for the sport of professional wrestling.  Dusty was my hero.   No one else came close.  I had no one to compare him to from watching the WWA and AWA.  His style and ring mannerisms were unique. 

Now, with that being said, let me say that I still am a fan of Dusty Rhodes because of the memories of my youth.  But, as I get older, I appreciate more wrestlers such as Steve Keirn, Mike Graham, The Funks, The Assassin and my all time favorite manager, the great Sir Oliver Humperdink.  I did not have a father who introduced me to wrestling as some of you may have.  I had to learn and come to appreciate the whole spectacle, which was professional wrestling by myself. 

I was finally able to convince (beg) my dad to take me to the wrestling matches live on Monday, April 16^th, 1979 at the West Palm Beach Auditorium.  As some of you probably know, the WPB Auditorium was a Monday night mainstay of the CWF circuit for many years.  Every Tuesday morning I would open the sports section of the Palm Beach Post and see if they printed the results from the previous evenings matches.  Usually they did, but it was a very small section just touching on who beat who and the attendance numbers. 

Thanks to CWF Archives I was able to print out a copy of the wrestling program from the first show I attended at the WPB Auditorium on April 16^th, 1979.  Herb Calvert took on Jim Shields in the opening match.  Pak Song and Killer Khan wrestling Cyclone Negro and Don Serrano.  The third match saw Sonny King, Bugsy McGraw and Thor the Viking take on Ox Baker, Killer Karl Kox and Mike Graham.  In a Special Challenge Match, Ray Candy challenged The Magnificent Morocco (Muraco).  In the main event, NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race defended his title against Steve Keirn with former NWA Champion Pat O’Connor the special referee.  I couldn’t tell you who won every match that evening, I only remember the main event result.  What I do remember was the electricity that flowed in the Auditorium that night and the energy and passion that the fans themselves displayed during the nights matches.  That is what left an imprint on my mind that I have never forgot. 

It started with the third match of the evening pitting the evil genius of Sonny King and two of his henchmen, Bugsy McGraw and Thor the Viking against former King crony Ox Baker, Killer Karl Kox and the very popular Mike Graham.  Baker had just recently had a falling out with Sonny King and had become a fan favorite in the sunshine state.  Killer Karl Kox was not too far removed from his face turn when he assisted Steve Keirn and his father from an attack by Pak Song.  I vividly recall the fans around me voicing their concern for Mike Graham because of who his partners were.  Could Ox Baker really be trusted?  What about Killer Karl Kox?  Was he primed to return to his rule breaking ways?  

The fans fears were partially subsided when early in the match all six men were in the ring and the faces cleared the ring of King and his men with Kox leading the way.  Later in the match, Mike Graham was down and outside the ring in the heels corner taking some punishment as Kox was in the ring.  Ox Baker walked over to the opponent’s corner outside the ring. He picked up Graham slinging him over his shoulder and walked back to their corner.  More...