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Where Wrestling's Regional History Lives! |
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MY FIRST RING ANNOUNCING JOB Some of you remember me as the Northern California ring announcer. At 19, I was announcing in the Cow Palace for Promoter Roy Shire; to this day some of the greats in the biz still state that Shire ran one of the leading four territories in the country. I announced from 1974, January, until Roy closed the territory in 1981, after successfully promoting yet another 18 man battle royal, sold out. I had been a fan (and a mark) and I knew Louie Miller, another promoter who ran Sacramento, Richmond, Stockton and a few spot towns. The announcer didn't show and Miller said he wanted me to announce. Superstar Billy Graham was on the card at the Richmond Auditorium; though a bit nervous I loved it and it all went well. Miller said I was good and he'd use me in Stockton, too. Shire happened to be at the match in Stockton and said he liked my style and would use me in the Cow Palace. "The Palace is the plum and if you're good I'll hire you forever; if not Bolte, I'll throw your ass out the same night you came in," Shire told me. Needless to say I was good. My first Palace gig included Kinji Shibuya (pretty much his last year of wrestling), Earl "Mr. Universe" Maynard, Mr. Saito, Irish Pat Barrett and a special fly-in, 600 lb Haystack Calhoun. About 10,000 people showed and it felt different standing in the ring four feet from these superstars, mike in my hand! Eventually Shire and other promoters (the late Terry Garvin; Louie Dondero; John Swenski and Miller) had 13 towns running at least every two weeks, four and five nights per week. Hank Rennar (a great person and good personality announcer) did Sacramento house shows on Wed and TV tapings at Channel 40 in Sacramento Monday nights. I announced Palace, Stockton every other Tues; Richmond and Santa Rosa occasionally; Fresno monthly and I filled in for Hank (including 3 TV tapings) when he was gone. Swenski announced San Jose and Salinas. I eventually took over the programs (a good money maker) and edited and produced the programs at all of the arenas in Northern Calif. Though I was kayfabed for the first year, eventually promoters realized I was "smart" and I became a regular backstage dressing room member. I also had written for several wrestling magazines and at one point I wrote regular articles for five national wrestling mags including Wrestling World, Big Book of Wrestling, Wrestling Today and others. I also ventured out to announce bodybuilding shows and I wrote for 3 bodybuilding magazines. To this day I have been ring announcer for virtually every independent promotion and have announced house shows for the WWF, NWA, Big Time Wrestling, Bay Area Wrestling, All Pro Wrestling and others. Roland Alexander, incidentally, who is the promoter of All Pro Wrestling also was at every event from those days on. I knew he would eventually break in the business and to this day he runs one of the best wrestling schools, located in Hayward, and he promotes several live events. I have nothing but good things to say about Roland as a person and as a wrestling promoter. |
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