The Rose Garden/Main Event Arena

 The Rose Garden was called such by those involved. as an inside joke for David and then wife Gayle Rose ran shows in this arena for some time in 1980-1981.  Once located at 3rd street in downtown Phoenix, the irony was the wrestlers "built: the interior themselves by knocking down walls, constructing bleachers and blocking off a dressing room.

To the general public, the building was known as the more serious Main Event Arena.

I had some of my early matches as manager here.

The arena vibrated some press too as it was  covered in both New Times and the Arizona Republic.

One of the main feuds saw David Rose facing one Mr Southern Comfort (and he lived up to his alias also) who came down to Pheonix after a stint for Bill Ash on Indy cards in Wyoming.The two faced each other numerous times with their final confrontation taking place in a bloody cage match.

Another long feud saw Gayle Rose (as Mrs Wrestling) feuding with the veteran Marilyn Bender,

Some of the people who appeared here are sadly gone, like the arena itself. Referee Bob Sallee woukld shoot himself for some reason known only to him. Refs Ron Lindsey and Russ Barker are also gone, as is retired wrestler Tona Tomah who sometimes worked the gate. Maniac Mike Gordon also passed away from a heart attack up in Canada a while ago.Cowboy Bob Yuma died as well, after years facing respiration problems.

Other regulars on the cards were The Lumberjacks, Pedro El Grande,The Golden Eagle, John Ringer, Danny Snyder, Masked Frankenstein, Tom Ramirez and occasional luchadores from Mexico. Ringo Rodriguez of Juarez was one of them.

 Week after week, the wrestlers always gave their all. 

Aside from holding house shows, the building also served as a full time training facility where many of the veterans worked out alongside the rookies.