Blindfold Matches

No one seems sure where the idea of blindfold matches started. Some have credited this to Ed Francis in Honolulu, who may have come up with the first blindfold battle royal, but most surely the concept goes back further.

Phoenix had it's share of blindfold matches in order to keep people from cheating or to just add a novel twist. Invariably, the bad guys always lifted the blindfold to gain a dishonest advantage anyway.

There was at least one blindfolded battle royal held in Phoenix in 1982, where David Rose promoted, wrestled and won the event. Others taking part were The Lumberjacks, The Golden Eagle, Ringo Rodriguez, myself, Cowboy Bob Yuma, Pedro El Grande, Mike Gordon and Danny Snyder.

In the early 1970s, Tito Montez and Ron Dupree did a blindfold tag match with Chuck Karbo and Freddie Gomez, but Karbo screwed them over by lifting the blindfold, breaking the rules and gaining a pin.

Silly? Perhaps. Still an interesting tidbit within wrestling history.