Markus Brothers  

Bob and Joe were another team that entertained for years all over the region and were sometimes the heels and sometimes the good guys. They would wrestle solo and sometimes put in two matches to cover for a no-show. They were actually pretty good wrestlers and I remember Bob being the better of the two and sometimes getting in a good match. I believe they were local as well and would appear on the independents frequently. When Vic Mac invaded, like other areas, our independent scene would flourish. Around 84-85-86 there were a lot of great shows around Ontario featuring a lot of the guys that had regularly appeared at the Gardens and probably would have survived in a different economic climate. As it was, when The Wildman Dave McKigney was killed in 1988 so were our hopes of old time wrestling hanging on, and a lot of the guys just disappeared.  

Charlie Fulton

Another guy who could have been mid card or headliner given a push. He was comparable to Barry Windham in style and always gave a good match and knew how to wrestle. 

Steve Bolus

A star in other areas, he appeared at numerous cards and was another great wrestler 

Ron Ritchie

Popular in the Carolina’s, another solid technical wrestler, I remember a great match in 1980 he had with The Great Hussein (Iron Sheik) and looked like he would get a bit of a push. He fit in with the style of Watson and Bravo and looked great when paired with guys like Tony Parisi where he could show his skills. 

There were scores of guys through the territory in the 70’s that had been stars elsewhere but fought in the lower bouts here. Lou Klein appeared on a lot of cards, other names would include Paul Demarco, Tim Gerrard, Bill White, Nick DeCarlo, Dandy Dan Miller, Baron Von Krupp, Baby Face Nelson, Frank Marconi, Johnny Yachetti, The Beast and countless others. I remember Kayfabe’s own Izzy Slapowitz and Mike Davis appearing a few times as well. Most of the regulars also appeared in Detroit, Windsor, Montreal, New York and the Carolinas because of the proximity. As regulars in Florida would tour Georgia, Maple Leaf guys would hit Sarnia, North Bay and Montreal and be back in time for Sunday evenings at Maple Leaf Gardens. 

I will look at some of the other prelim guys in another column and will leave you with a quote from the Canadian Cowboy Frankie Lane. Of course, thanks to Greg Oliver’s research on Slam Wrestling. (check out the tribute to Kurt Von Hess for some great memories) 

From Slam Wrestling May 25 1999    edited 

London, Ont (CP) – A retired Canadian wrestler has added his voice to complaints from the family of Owen Hart about how wrestlers are treated by promoters. “Wrestlers get treated like prostitutes and guys like Vince McMahon are the pimps.” (Cowboy) Frankie Lane told the London Free Press on Tuesday. “There’s no limit to what they’ll do to promote their shows, nothing they won’t attempt to boost failing ratings,” said Lane, 56.Lane, now retired and running his family’s 280 hectare farm near Alvinston, wrestled most of the Hart brothers at one time or another, including one appearance against Owen. “I remember Owen as a kid, then later as a wrestler like all his brothers. He was a great kid, an agile athlete. Look at this,” said Lane, scanning a newspaper photo. “ A beautiful wife, two kids. It’s heartbreaking. ”Out of respect for the family, they should have cancelled the show and refunded everyone’s money,” said Lane who occasionally performed as the Red Shadow. 

Anyone remember the Red Shadow? 

NEXT MONTH: 

A night at Maple Leaf Gardens