Tank Ballerno

If I did not mention him here, Tank Ballerno could fade into history with nobody and I mean nobody remembering him at all. His career was that short.

Tank came on when promoter Barry Bernsten was losing his established wrestlers right and left. The veterans were getting tired of his b.s. and simply walking out, which left him in dire need of training others. Tank became one of the trainees.

Ballerno had a decent look about him. He was a stocky, bearded man with a weightlifter's build, but didn't have it in him to stick with the rigorous workout procedures and especially didn't have much of a stomach for Bernsten's "commander in chief"attitude. Thus he came on the scene in 1982 and faded a short time afterward.

Tank had some decent moves, such as a good airplane spin and a power slam, but he was as green as grass and this showed.  He was matched up against The Lumberjacks, John Ringer and a few others who were still with Bernsten at the time. These vets carried him through what spanned his career.

Then for reasons known only to Tank and Bernsten, but clearly over a conflict between the two of them, the newcomer vanished as quickly as he arrived.

Ballerno never appeared for any other promotion.

Over the decades, many wrestlers started in Arizona and went on to good or even great things. Afa & Sika, Jerry Graham, Billy Graham, Eddie Sullivan and even modestly, myself.

On the other hand there were load of "one shot wonders' who wrestled only for a few matches to perhaps a few years before dropping out of sight. Bear Cumberland, Davie Mendez, Mariam Bermudas, The Red Fox, The Menominee Princess, The Cherokee Brothers, Miss Champagne, Taylor Thomas, Dallas, Road Angel, The Southern rebel, Charlie The Choker, The Sicilian Slammer and many more come to my mind. Ballerno   would fall into this latter list.

Well, at least he gets a few seconds of glory here.