A very funny fellow

Recently someone asked about Bill Howard on the board and many funny memories flooded through my head.

Bill came into Georgia and I found out very quickly what a great sense of humor he had. He was fun to work with and a riot in the dressing room. He was a good worker and I never saw him have a bad match with anyone. His first run in the territory was not very long and guys were working very loose at the time. When he came back things had changed a little and the guys were working a little more snug to say the least. His first match back I was refereeing and he calls me over after about ten minutes and with this very puzzled look he says "These guys are taking this real serious aren't they?"

Let me explain before I go on. Territories went through phases. If you had a crew of good hands things would loosen up. We sold our business as a shoot when I was active and when I say loose it was still solid wrestling. Some guys tried to impress you with how hard they could throw a forearm or an elbow and they would lay them in. Whenever a guy like this came into a territory things stiffened up and you laid them in or you would get beat to death. Hope this makes sense. Those  of you who worked in my time frame know what I am trying to say... now back to Bill Howard...

Bill lived in Jonesboro, Ga. and his wife worked in a beauty salon there. We ran a spot show at the Jonesboro High School.

Bill was in a mixed tag match with Marie LeVeaux as his small partner against Jerry Stubbs and Princess Little Dove.  Jerry was just starting in the business and was still on the Clayton County Police force, not to mention this was his home town and the first time he had wrestled there. Midgets, a greenhorn working at home for the first time, and me.  All the ingredients needed for a wild Bill Howard moment... oh, I forgot his wife was in the mix also.

Gene Anderson was the booker and he called Bill and I into the shower before the matches. He informed us that he had specifically booked Bill and myself into this match so that we could keep things under control and serious. He went on to tell us that Jerry was so pumped up you could not have drove a greased nail up his fanny, (Gene's words not mine).
He asked us to keep things above board and not let them get out of hand. we being the fine citizens that we were agreed.

Just before going to the ring Bill's wife stops us and says "don't do anything to embarrass me."  The match went well, no problems until Bill decided to choke a midget. We worked a deal where I was pushing Jerry back to his corner and Bill jumped into the ring and grabbed Little Dove. If you do not remember her she wore her hair in these long braided pig tails.  He had her by the throat, hoisted above his head and he was slinging her back and forth. He looked like he was choking a chicken.

When I turned around and saw it I almost cracked up. I looked back to where his wife was sitting and she was going under the bleachers.  Gene Anderson was standing in the doorway of the dressing room and shaking his head. I knew we were in trouble on all hands so I figured what the heck and we started doing all sorts of goofy things.  More...