Vandal Drummond

From his California base, Vandal Drummond started out in wrestling under his real name of Kurt Brown, by publishing a huge results newsletter in cooperation with a partner by the name of Lloyd Lee.

Like many who started out as fans, sheet writers or photographers, Drummond decided to enter the wrestling world as a participant, undergoing training form a number of interested wrestler friends, to become a capable star in the western states himself. As of this writing, he remains one of the rare Anglo stars to ever excel and gain acceptance in the Lucha Libre promotions within the western USA.

In recent times, Drummond won the biggest victory of his life, not within the ring, but away from it, when he defeated cancer.

Charismatic, high flying and capable in the ring, Drummond has been an icon for Indy groups in the western states. He has enjoyed great popularity during a long career. 

Burt Ringo

Burt Ringo makes his home in Palmer, Alaska and works regularly for a busy Indy group centered in that state.

He has, on occasion. made it into the western USA and has looked impressive during this journeys into unchartered grounds. Let us hope more will follow.

Ringo has also been a regular on Indy cards in Washington and Oregon.

A charismatic wrestler with some impressive moves, he can do both sensational flying actions or on the ground, hold for hold chain wrestling, depending on what the situation demands.  

Keep your eye on this guy. he will be going places.

The Running Man

It is out on DVD, but also crops up often on cable tv. The Running Man is a film about a futuristic world where The Running man is the most popular game show in America, featuring criminals chased down by stalkers or bounty men in a weird cat and mouse game.

It is interesting to see two wrestlers in supporting roles.

First, Jesse Ventura appears as Captain Freedom, wearing a wig that looks like a bird nest on his head.

Ventura was seen in Arizona in the early days of the WWF invasion into the territory.

Professor Tanaka is also seen as Professor Sub Zero.

Tanaka appeared in the early part of his career in Phoenix and environs, wrestling under his real name as Charlie Kalani,  a happy Hawaiian, before he became an evil Japanese villain in the ring.

The film is worth a look.

The Beast

Several people wrestled as The Beast in Arizona over the years, but this particular Beast was named Ivan Cormier and he came from Canada.

Though being pushed big in Texas at the same time as a tag team partner with one Butcher Brower, he only had one Arizona match, ever, when he lost to Ron Pritchard in 1973.

Go figure. No one knows why he was not seen more often, as he seemed to be a decent heel.

he was  a stocky man with a beard and close cut dark hair. He had a certain in ring arrogance about him as well,  that the fans hated from the onset.

He died in 2009.

Ed Carpentier

He claimed to be from Paris and related to the boxer by the name of Carpentier but in truth he wa neither. Still, for a bigger man, there were few men as agile or as fast moving in the ring. A genius ahead of his time, he dazzled his opponent via cartwheels and flying dropkicks long before they were common. He was known as "The man with the flying feet" for good reason.

Carpentier was better known for action in Canada in the Midwest. In the St. Louis area he received a major push feuding with Blackjack Lanza, Harley race and Hans Schmidt. he is not commonly associated with Arizona.

In 1960, Carpentier did pass through Arizona and pick up a set of matches, evidently when traveling between Los Angeles and the Midwest by car.  Though truly over with the people, he did not stay long and moved onward, which was his intention from the start.

He died in 2010.

Porky Lopez

Porky Lopez, not to be confused with Eddie Lopez who was a different person (and these two never met in a match) worked as a job guy in Arizona in 1968.

Billed from Durango, Mexico, which may or may not have been true, he lost to several people on the circuit, both on television and in house shows.

Some of those who beat the rotund grappler included Don Arnold, Pancho Pico, Chuck Karbo, John Shane, Woody Farmer, Ray Gordon and  Kiko Torres.

Lopez evidently left Arizona by 1969 and headed back to Mexico. He cropped up in Nogales, Hermosillo, Agua Prietà, Ciudad Obregon and  a few other places before fading away.

An Urban Legend

Books like The Heels, I Ain't No Pig Farmer and The Last bell call all tell of Chris Colt and his strange behavior. the general belief is if you hear a story about him, it happened, no matter how uncanny it may seem.

One tale. however, is total urban legend.

Chris liked drugs and never hid the fact. he smoked grass, popped pills and also drank himself into oblivion., sometimes before a show even started, but somehow could still always do the match.

One tale has him walking into the ring t the Phoenix Madison Square Garden with a joint in his hand.

This did NOT happen.

For once, a Chris Colt tale is epic bullshit.

Colt did walk to the ring, stoned and drunk, but he had a Winston cigarette in his hand, NOT a joint. This looked foolish enough, but......

Now you know the truth.

Pupu The Samoan

"Pupu stinks! Pupu stinks!"

Having to listen to a chant like that would drive anyone to quit after a short time, which he did.

Pupu The Samoan was a joke name given to a rotund Hispanic grappler with a minimum amount of ability. He usually did jobs on the mot obscure of Arizona and California shows.

At one point he was to come in for the AIWA in los Angeles, run by Ed Ahrens, but it did not come about.

Pupu evidently grew tired of the wrestling game and frankly, being seen as a novelty. He quit in around 1996.

He presently makes his home in Astoria, Oregon.

Prostate Cancer

Is this turning  into an epidemic?

Bret hart now has prostate cancer

Indy manager The Time Traveler is also undergoing treatment for the same.

For those wishing to help him with expenses go to https://www.gofundme.com/ptk594f7?rcid=56eaafdffe3643cdaadbe2399a85c419

Indy wrestler Darling Donavan back east also has the same.

Guys, get he annual check up. Men over 50 are at high risk for this. It is treatable if caught in time, slow moving and easily eradicated.