Waldo von Erich

“He was my favorite guy ever.  Nice guy outside of wrestling, easy to work with, great on the mic and great with his hands.  He would go on to invent a lift chair for people with back problems.  He was just a talented guy.”

Johnny Powers

Ron disliked him, said he needed anger management classes.  He had an ego out of control. 

Abdullah the Butcher

Ron said he was a fun loving guy.  Loved to gamble.  Abby was always playing cards in the dressing room.  He was only in for a short while.

The Fargos

Don Fargo was one crazy son of a bitch.  Greg was a kid, went along with him.  Don couldn’t read, no drivers license but drove; He had a wild life-style... Had women and a 6 pack and a sandwich and he was happy.

Dominic DeNucci

Very nice guy good worker, enjoyed his work vs. Waldo von Erich, They had good matches together. He teamed with Tony Parisi, Tony more talented but Dom had the fire.

Ernie Ladd

Ernie is someone Ron still talks to a lot.  Ernie was politically astute, He drew money, he had ego, and he was hard to get along with, still he was one of the nicer guys in business.  Ernie played the race card, He loved Pedro, they would fight Pedro would screw him on pay, they make up.  One time, Ernie worked 30 straight days, he wanted to go home, he wanted to see the wife and kids, and Pedro flew in wife and kids.  Pedro called him the “N” word.

Eric The Red

Eric was a wonderful man, a crazy man, he loved the ladies.  Great worker but was not recognized.  He wanted more pay never would get it from Pedro.

I asked Ron what wrestlers were not pushed in the NWF that should have been.  Ron said Donn Lewin, who worked as the Executioner.  Had great talent and was never pushed.  He threw the best punches in wrestling.  He worked weeknights and would only wrestle on weekends.  That hurt him.

Later in the IWA it was Nelson Royal who they should have pushed more.

I asked Ron about his involvement in the IWA.  

Eddie Einhorn owned TBS a small syndicated network, he broadcasted college basketball, wanted wrestling programs and pictures.  Ron was a basketball mark, sent him programs and photos, Ron asked about starting a wrestling promotion, Eddie had TV connections, Pedro and Eddie set up a syndicated network, set up taping in Savannah, they brought in Mil Mascaras and made him the champ.    Bulldog Brower, Ivan Koloff, Tex McKenzie they signed contracts, per night 150-333, Al Costello and the Love Brothers and the Mongols got 150 a night.  Mighty Igor got $333 a night.  Mascaras had his own deal.  They offered a cash bonus; right then, $1000-3000 if they signed on.  The IWA was the first to use slow motion and stop action in wrestling. Taping 3 weeks later in Georgia. The first tour was 10 days later; Eddie sold his basketball business to Dunn and Bradstreet.  They ran the Beacon Theatre in NYC every Friday night, then Virginia and the Carolinas. They did good business in 1975, but Dunn and Bradstreet told him to get out.  They were a major success in Carolinas continuing after Eddie left.  Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point, drew great.    Mighty Igor and the Mongols stayed until the Crockett’s swayed them to jump over, Brower, Hartford Love, stayed around for maybe 2 years, until Johnny Powers made them mad.  They did some tours of Nigeria, Liberia.  

What are you doing today?  Ron runs PM Video, selling videos of the kayfabe era.  He has Detroit late 1960s –1973-1974, SW from San Antonio, 1979-1985, old Chicago, 1960-1963, old Buffalo all pre NWF, old IWA, 20 of 36 shows, old WWA 1971-73.3/4 inch top VSH, when DVD gets cheaper  will go that route, he makes custom tapes, 1984-1985.  His tapes were shown on ESPN Classics, Direct TV, In Demand , he partners with wrestlingclassics.com

He also works at the Seminal casino in Tampa.

NEXT MONTH:

I will look at Wrestlers who got their early starts in the Cleveland-Buffalo-Pittsburgh areas.