Sooner or later, I guess Roy decided he didn't have a chance in hell of saying no to me forever. (Right!)  I was young and could bother him about it for many years to come. Finally Hank Renner told Roy, "Let Vik do the programs one time and let's see what happens." If they look like crap no one will buy them and he'll go away. But if he makes a nice program and he does some great sales, I'll keep an eye out for you and keep him out of trouble. 

So that is how I got my foot in the door of the business I have loved for for well over thirty years. I was fifteen years old, Roy liked my programs (and the money he was making from his percentage) and I expanded my business to selling programs in most of the cities Roy promoted in. Later, I moved to another territory to work in the wrestling office, referee and announce, so all of my memories that you will read here are seen the eyes of a teenager who was there during Roy's best years, the early 1970s.
 
Although I was perched on the outside edge of Roy's "secret operations" at the beginning, I was given countless opportunities to peel back the curtains to learn about the business and how things were done in Roy's kingdom. I hope you enjoy revisiting those days as much as I have enjoyed remembering them. 
 
NEXT MONTH: 

I will start my series telling you what I know about Roy Shire and his television operations, which were the the most important asset he had for attracting fans to his house shows.  If you have any questions or topics you would like to know more about, feel free to write me. My email address is rasslefan@viktor.com. If you would like to see some photos I took of Roy Shire and the wrestlers who worked for him in the early 1970s, visit my website at http://homepage.mac.com/viktor2/btw