Meet Dale Pierce in Barberton, Ohio May 5

Meet Dale Pierce for a lecture on wrestling and book signing in Barberton, Ohio at 5 pm on May 5 at the Barberton Library.

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The Death Of Luis Martinez

Sadly, he died in September, with he wrestling world just now finding out. Luis Martinez has passed away after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Martinez was a major draw in Arizona, though he was also a main eventer in the Midwest, Japan and even Africa.

His feuds with The Sheik and Killer Brooks were among the bloodiest ever. These took on a national scope, but were also pairings that drew well in Phoenix, when Luis had his last Arizona run, circa 1973.

During the 1960s, Martinez also had long-lasting feuds with Don Kent and Don Arnold.  He also teamed with Cowboy Bob Ellis on several occasions to take on the  hated Hell's Angels/Comancheros.  Heat against the Comancheros grew so great, that one night after Ellis and Martinez were bloodied badly,  the two villains became the victim of evident fan payback. The Comancheros found every window in their car had been smashed by "parties unknown."

Other people  Luis feuded with around the globe in his long career would  include Chuck Karbo, Bull Curry, Pampero Firpo, The Mongols, Scarpiron Scranton, Hans Schmidt, Dr. Jerry Graham, Bill Miller, Johnny Valentine and many more.

Mae Young Dies

They had her dead before her time, thanks to a rumor on the net. "Dead? Kicks out at 2." This was the slogan with her image that decorated the Facebooks of many after word came down she was still alive.

Too good to be true and just a matter of time.

Less than a  week later, she did pass away and for real this time, at the age of 90.

While never a regular in Arizona, she was seen there during her WWF stint and long before, with a couple of matches at the old Phoenix Madison Square Garden.

Universally, it would be easy to call her one of the greatest female wrestlers of all time.  Usually, she appeared in the role of heel.

Death Of Polo Pardo

California-based referee, Polo Pardo, is another of many from the western Indy circuits who recently passed away without much hoopla.

Polo was predominant among referees in the Los Angeles area in the 1990s, but also made it to Arizona.

No other  info  available.

Death Of Thrashmaster

Thrashmaster, a towering powerhouse of a wrestler active mainly in California, but sometimes seen in Arizona, has passed away with little data made available to the general public or to the wrestling world.

Thrashmaster received his biggest push in the Los Angeles area in the early  1990s for varied independent groups.

Death Of Sheik Abdul

John Roberts, known for his work as a manager under a mask as Sheik Abdul, working with one Sheik Ali in the 1990s, has passed away. Details are not available.

The bilk of this man's career was spent in California for the defunct AIWA promotion in the Los Angeles suburbs and for lucha promotions along the border.

Sheik Ali and Sheik Abdul were seen in Tucson in 1997for Ron Sutherland's promotion.