We were in shock, never before had I been so sure that good would triumph over evil, yet it was slapped away from me at the last moment.  We all were enraged, but none more so then my new friend, with the anger issues.  As we yelled and screamed, my new friend walked calmly over to the TV and put his foot right through it, setting off a nice light display there in the living room. 

Needless to say, Portland Wrestling now had me hooked for good. 

Number 2 BASS-MAYNE 

"let me tell you something all you local yokels, you low-life individuals, you Lonnie 'Moondog' Mayne."  A Typical Sam Oliver Bass promo. 

Ron Bass wrestled in the Portland Territory as the SOB, Sam Oliver Bass and when Lonnie Mayne came back to the area they immediately tied up in a pretty darn memorable feud.  

This match took place on a Big Time Wrestling program sometime in the summer of 1977.  Bass was pretty much the hottest heel in the territory, and Lonnie, well with Lonnie there was always 'excitement in the air.'  I am not sure if I have the events in the right sequence and if I do not please forgive my faulty memory.  Bass had been calling Mayne out for a period of time, only to have his tail turn soft and limber when Lonnie showed up and sending John Anson out to battle Lonnie. Lonnie had taken to insulting him and had jumped him on occasion to try and goad him into a fight.  Lonnie was cutting a promo one night and in the promo he was talking about all the great wrestlers in the PNW.  In doing so, he was backhandedly mucking the good Bass name by not mentioning him at all.  This enraged the big Cowboy to the point that he came up into the Crow's Nest while Lonnie was talking to announcer Frank Bonnema and demanded that Lonnie include him in this promo.  Lonnie told him point blank, "well, Bass!!!!  I don't know how good you are because you never have the guts to get into the ring with me." 

"Look Boy,"  Bass countered. 

"Frank, Frank, did he just call me boy?"  Mayne asked. 

"I believe he did,"  Bonnema let him know with a straight face. 

"Look here you big piece of cow dung, I am going to tell you this, don't call me boy."  Mayne said with conviction. 

"Boy, I will call you whatever..." 

"This is the last time I tell you don't call me boy." 

"Boy..."

BOOM!!!  A mighty right from Lonnie drops the big cowboy.
 
Bonnema asks Lonnie to maintain a certain sense of decorum in the Crow's Nest, and Lonnie adds, "Frank, I told him not to call me boy."  And with that he left the interview area.  Bass struggled to his feet and said, he was ready to fight right now, as the show went to commercial.  When we came back Bass and ref Sandy Barr were arguing in the ring, and were punctuating their points with pushes and shoves.  The crowd exploded, Mayne ran into the ring and Sandy Barr called for the bell as the melee erupted.  

Mayne and Bass battered and beat on each other and the blood flowed early, in fact it gushed and a couple of minutes in and Mayne's blonde hair had red highlights.  The crowd was in a complete frenzy and you could see it moving like one huge organism as it surged towards the ring.  People threw objects into the ring and they were used as weapons.  At one point a lit cigarette made it's way into the ring and Lonnie grabbed it.  Lonnie puffed on it to get the cherry red hot and then stuck it into the forehead of Bass.  They continued to hammer on each other, and at one point Bass threw the fight to Mayne, turned tail and headed for the safety of the locker room with Lonnie in hot pursuit.  They fought all the way up the aisle, Portland TV had cameras in the Crow's Nest, none on the floor and they tried to follow the brawl the best they could. Finally, as Lonnie was finishing off the Outlaw, Bass escaped into the dressing room leaving Lonnie beating on the door.  As they went to commercial, Frank Bonnema understated that he did not think we had seen the last of this feud. 

Number 1 ROSE FACE TURN 

This was a textbook old school angle, one that was done well and booked to perfection.  Rose had been the top heel for about 7 years, Rip Oliver had been one of his partners in crime for about three years.  Buddy came back from Japan and when he did he brought some gifts.  Hair Tonic for Dutch Savage, platform shoes for Hack Sawyer, a Walkman for Rip Oliver, "Rip I know you like the tunes, and this is for with the women."  And it seemed that things were back to normal.  Soon after Buddy was 'injured' and was gone for an extended period.  When he returned Rip Oliver had formed his Clan, he and The Assassin in place of the Buddy Rose Army.  Rose came back and said that since the Clan was looking for a new member they should just reform the army.  Rip said no, it was time for Buddy to do his thing and Rip to do his.  They shook hands, wished each other luck and said they would both continue to look for a new partner. 

Week after week goes by and Rip and Buddy keep interrupting each others interviews all the while seemingly wishing each other good luck.  Finally, Rose announces that he had to put up a lot of money but he got a new partner, The Dynamite Kid.  Oliver showed up in the Crow's Nest and Buddy told him he knew that Rip was looking at the kid, but Buddy NEEDED the kid and offered a little more money to get him.  Oliver told Buddy that he got over him on that one, but his Clan would survive, he would find a new member.  

The night that Rose announced he had the Dynamite Kid the main event was for the PNW tag team titles, Oliver-Assassin versus Billy Jack and Curt Hennig.  Rose said he had already cleared it with Owens and that he and Dynamite would be getting a shot at the winners the very next week.  The face team of Billy and Curt went over on this night, setting up a match with Rose and the Kid.

The next week The Kid debuts and he is nothing short of unreal.  The teams split the first two falls, but it is obvious that the Kid is something special.  Rose's team loses the deciding third fall, and Rose is angered.  As he has done many times before Rose turns on a partner.  He grabs the Kid and hollers for Oliver.  Rip and The Assassin hit the ring, and to the surprise of everyone.......ATTACK ROSE!!!!  They leave him lying, with Billy and Curt on the ring apron not knowing what to do, they both have been burned by Buddy so many times they are not about to help him.  They finally do though and chase The Clan and its new member to the Crow's Nest where they cut a promo on Rose.  As Rose is left in the ring he grabs a mike and keeps asking WHY???  DK and Oliver say it is all about money and business and The Clan has more money.  Rose returns and cuts an emotional promo saying that he is confused.
 
The next week, The Clan attacks Rose and once again leaves him bloodied and lying  The main event matches two of The Clan against Billy Jack and Hennig once again.  The heels get the upper hand and are beating the faces 3 on 2 when the crowd begins screaming.  Rose, bandaged from his beatdown, hits the ring and cleans house on the dastardly heels.  When they are disposed of, Rose starts pulling fans into the ring with him!!!  Soon the ring is full of fans and they are carrying Rose on their shoulders!!!!  Buddy Rose the area's most hated heel, has become the darling of the fans with one simple act, which of course had been set up by weeks, actually years considering Buddy's run, of great booking and storytelling.  KAYFABE MEMORIES FOREVER!!

NEXT MONTH:

Roddy Piper