Welcome back to Maple Leaf Wrestling at Kayfabe Memories. This month we will begin a look at the TV wrestling shown throughout Ontario .

Our first installment will present an overview of the 1970's and the scope of neighboring territories on our TV scene. The next column will focus on the late 70's, early 80's era and delve more into the angles and in ring action.

We are privileged to have the insight of former wrestler and promoter Big Jim Lancaster, who will take us inside a TV taping in Hamilton back in 1973.

Also, special thanks to Michael Cannon for all his help with this one.

Part 1

At the onset of the 1970's the typical TV wrestling experience could include several shows depending on where you lived. Our own Ringside Wrestling, Johnny Rougeau's "Sur Le Mattelas", Stu Hart's "Stampede", Sandor Kovac's "All Star" from Vancouver, and Pedro Martinez' "Championship Wrestling" show out of Buffalo would all be part of the menu.

As was the norm in the territory days, most if not all of our "local" guys would also be seen regularly on the telecasts out of Detroit and Cleveland and move around the Lake Ontario/Lake Erie regions.

Our show, based out of Hamilton on channel 11 was in its familiar timeslot on Saturdays with Lord Athol Layton behind the announcer's desk. Depending on the tapings, the TV would be held at the Hamilton Forum (before its demise in 1977), or the Telecentre in downtown Hamilton .

The Forum was owned for many years by Ken Soble's Maple Leaf Broadcasting who also co-owned CHCH. The station used to boast that they had Canada 's largest studio in the Forum. In later years they would move into the Germania Club, also in Hamilton.

Local wrestlers would combine with those from the adjacent territories to appear on the TV shows.  As was discussed in a previous column, Lou Klein would book the Detroit area workers to appear for the Tunneys in Ontario. One of the Detroit regulars Big Jim Lancaster, would appear at 12 TV tapings in 1973 and relates the atmosphere of the TV studio:

"I remember the building being ice cold to where you could see the breath of the fans as they sat at ringside. It wasn't much better in the dressing rooms. The main dressing room was right where the wrestlers walked to the ring from. The Sheik was always in one room with the Tunneys and the rest of us were sent across that small aisle there or around the corner to other dressing rooms. It was so cold, wrestlers would dress to wrestle, then put their clothes back on to stay warm. Usually Jack Tunney gave out the finishes. They usually made 3 one-hour tapes. If you worked one tape, you got $50. If you worked 2 you got $75 and 3 tapes (that usually never happened) you would get $100."

In the summer of 1971, the TV landscape in the eastern part of the province would change with the addition of Grand Prix Wrestling. The legendary promotion would eventually push Rougeau out of the province and run some classic shows at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa in 1972.

Within a couple of years there would be changes in the local TV scene as well. Longtime announcer Lord Layton would leave to be replaced by Sandy Hoyt. Veteran announcer Hoyt would later work at CHFI in Toronto for over 20 years after working the Hamilton Red Wings broadcasts for CHCH in the 1960's.

There would also be a shift in time for our show that caused somewhat of a dilemma for the local fans. The usual afternoon slot would change to 9.30 on a Saturday night; known nation-wide as Hockey Night In Canada, and make for some tense moments in family harmony.

On the TV tapings in 1973, Big Jim Lancaster remembers working  with most of the area regulars including Dewey Robertson as The Crusader, Billy Red Lyons, The Sheik, Tiger Jeet Singh, Sweet Daddy Siki, Tony Parisi, Dan Miller, Lee Hennig, Nikita Kalmikoff, Love Brothers, Tarzan Zorro (Hans Mortier), The Beast and Tony Marino.