In 1980, during a lunch period at Christian Brothers HS, I had an epiphany. At this time, almost everybody had an after school/weekend job, and we were discussing them at the lunch table. A friend of mine, Frank (no last name to protect the guilty!), offered that his Dad (a well-connected St. Louis attorney with times to KPLR-TV owners, the Koplar family) had wrangled him a great job at Channel 11 basically as a gopher. His job was to empty trash cans, get coffee, make copies, etc. Not a bad gig for a 16-year old with aspirations of being in the entertainment industry. As soon as I heard this, I put down my bologna sandwich and asked him if he knew anything about getting into WATC. He said he would find out.

A week later, again at lunch, I asked him about the TV station again - he said that he found out you could send a self addressed stamped envelope to the station and receive tickets for a future TV taping. It would probably take a month or two. But then, with a sly smile, Frank went into how, once he got this information from the lady at the TV station, he noticed the stacks of tickets in her desk for the future tapings. Seems that once she left her office, Frank got into her desk and scored about 20 tickets for the upcoming taping. God bless Frank, for the next year, we made it to almost every TV taping that way!

Now we had tickets to be on TV! To a lifelong St. Louis wrestling fan, this was Nirvana! Not only to see all of our heroes up close and personal, but to be on TV! The taping was in about 10 days away - we had plans to make!

The tapings began at noon (if my memory serves me right) - however, to meet and see our heroes up close, we arrived at the back entrance to the Channel 11 studios (off Lindell Blvd.) at about 10:00 in the morning. Also, this being in the days before signs, we decided to wear brightly colored clothing as to show up well on TV!

And we were not disappointed.  At this 1980 taping, I vividly remember seeing, in public, walking up to the entrance of Channel 11, Harley Race (smoking a cigarette no less!!), carrying a little metal case that I believe held the Missouri Title, Ric Flair, Ken Patera, Von Raschke, Bulldog Bob Brown, and numerous others. We got excited seeing the “names” - there were others that we knew but didn’t get excited about (mid-carders), and then some jobber that we could tell were wrestlers, but didn’t know who they were.

All the wrestlers, even the heels, were polite and gracious to the fans who were waiting. At least we got a “Hi, how ya doing?”, a wave, maybe a handshake. In keeping with Sam Muchnick’s methods, heels and faces arrived separately, and strict kayfabe was observed.

As the time drew near, the doors opened, and Channel 11 personnel guided the crowds to the studio……..

NEXT MONTH:

A month of wrestling in one afternoon.