Butcher Brower was a blond wrestler with a yellowish beard and mustache, as well as close cropped hair. He emerged in Texas in 1971, often teaming with The Beast from out of Canada. He and the masked wrestler, the Spartan, had couple televised brawls.
Butcher Brower became recognized in New Mexico and Arizona due to the televised tapes from Amarillo being shown in these areas as well, but his appearances there were limited.
As a wrestler, Brower's stay in the west might best be termed as "enhancement talent" if w were to sue modern words. In his era, he would have been known as a carpenter" who lost creatively, but specialized in building his opponents up. He did receive a win now and again to keep interest in him going, but never received a big push with the Texas/New Mexico/Arizona circuit.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
The Time Traveler Returns
Having beaten prostate cancer, The Time Traveler has announced a return to managing wrestling in June.
"Now, I have to worry about follow up treatments to be sure this does not return, but this is a formality. I have beaten this."
"Now, I have to worry about follow up treatments to be sure this does not return, but this is a formality. I have beaten this."
Friday, April 29, 2016
Burt Ringo Still Thrives
There have been a couple wrestlers to take the name of Ringo in wrestling, usually doing a cowboy routine after the alleged gunman, John Ringo from 1880 Arizona. More recently, enter Burt Ringo of California, who now makes his way to Alaska and wrestles regularly up there.
Alaska ha had a tradition for wrestling, though sporadically run, dating back to the 1900s when Frank Gotch went up that way with a carnival under the name of Frank Kennedy, bilking gullible miners for bets in the old Stay Ten Minutes With the Champ angle.
There is a new group up there holding shows now. Burt Ringo remains one of their top draws as a high-flying grappler under a mask.
More and more people are finding out about him, as he and some of the others wit the promotion have been drifting down through Canada, into the lower half of the USA. They have made it as far as the southwestern states, where they have received favored reaction from the fans, but have not become regulars as of yet. They have, however, all caught on and Ringo should be back soon.
Keep an eye out for Burt Ringo as hopefully you will not have to go all the way to Alaska to see him in action. With travels into the southwest as noted, you all may get your chance.
Ringo has also recently seen matches in the Washington/Oregon area.
We have spoken of him before, but he is worth mentioning again.
Alaska ha had a tradition for wrestling, though sporadically run, dating back to the 1900s when Frank Gotch went up that way with a carnival under the name of Frank Kennedy, bilking gullible miners for bets in the old Stay Ten Minutes With the Champ angle.
There is a new group up there holding shows now. Burt Ringo remains one of their top draws as a high-flying grappler under a mask.
More and more people are finding out about him, as he and some of the others wit the promotion have been drifting down through Canada, into the lower half of the USA. They have made it as far as the southwestern states, where they have received favored reaction from the fans, but have not become regulars as of yet. They have, however, all caught on and Ringo should be back soon.
Keep an eye out for Burt Ringo as hopefully you will not have to go all the way to Alaska to see him in action. With travels into the southwest as noted, you all may get your chance.
Ringo has also recently seen matches in the Washington/Oregon area.
We have spoken of him before, but he is worth mentioning again.
The Spartan
In the 1970s, The Spartan worked the southwestern USA, sometimes as baby and sometimes as heel, but usually hearing cheers from the crowd. he received a modest push in Amarillo, both on house shows and television, which helped him gain bookings in other areas as well.
Dressed in black, with a black mask, he claimed he took the name of The Spartan because of the intense training he put himself through maybe so, as he was in shape.
His identity remains a blank to this blogger, though an expert on the Amarillo office might be able to pinpoint who was under the hood.
The Spartan's biggest feuds were with Moose Murkowski and Butcher Brower, where he was cheered for giving the villains a dose of their own medicine.
He used a routine body slam as finishing move, but keep in mind this was in an era where moves now used for spots were ending endeavors.
Though Texas remained his home base, he was seen occasionally in Arizona and New Mexico as well. Already recognized form the Amarillo tapes that were being aired in these places on tv as well, he was able to draw a reasonable amount of interest with the fans.
The Spartan wa usually a mid card attraction, but always put out his best effort.
Dressed in black, with a black mask, he claimed he took the name of The Spartan because of the intense training he put himself through maybe so, as he was in shape.
His identity remains a blank to this blogger, though an expert on the Amarillo office might be able to pinpoint who was under the hood.
The Spartan's biggest feuds were with Moose Murkowski and Butcher Brower, where he was cheered for giving the villains a dose of their own medicine.
He used a routine body slam as finishing move, but keep in mind this was in an era where moves now used for spots were ending endeavors.
Though Texas remained his home base, he was seen occasionally in Arizona and New Mexico as well. Already recognized form the Amarillo tapes that were being aired in these places on tv as well, he was able to draw a reasonable amount of interest with the fans.
The Spartan wa usually a mid card attraction, but always put out his best effort.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
The Freak Show
Western states have always had oddball wrestlers, but manager Sam Simms has a real pair here in the form of Sideshow and Otis The Redneck.
Sideshow is a huge, psychotic clown, not so much a derivation of Doink, but the murdering character in American Horror Story.
Otis looks like kin to the Deliverance rapists.
Thus far, the trio have been gaining a lot of heat and seem to have just the right manager & wrestler relationship. They could develop into top draws on the Indy scene.
If they are not the greatest in the game, they have to be the strangest.
Sideshow is a huge, psychotic clown, not so much a derivation of Doink, but the murdering character in American Horror Story.
Otis looks like kin to the Deliverance rapists.
Thus far, the trio have been gaining a lot of heat and seem to have just the right manager & wrestler relationship. They could develop into top draws on the Indy scene.
If they are not the greatest in the game, they have to be the strangest.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Wrestling In Akron Still Sells
With the author having just beaten prostate cancer, look for a new marketing push for Wrestling in Akron form Arcadia Publishing. the book may be ordered in any boos store and found on Amazon.
Many of the people depicted in the book, which is primarily photographic, with many previously unpublished stills, also worked the west, especially to avoid the Ohio winters.
Never before seen photos of Dory Funk, Ben Justice, Killer Brooks, Bill Anderson, Jerry Graham, Luis Martinez, Gold Dust, Brian Pillman, Bobo Brazil, Don Kent, Lou Thesz, Dave Levin, The Smoking Guns, Chris Colt and others who worked both parts of the USA appear.
The book also has loads of trivia and interesting bios.
Many of the people depicted in the book, which is primarily photographic, with many previously unpublished stills, also worked the west, especially to avoid the Ohio winters.
Never before seen photos of Dory Funk, Ben Justice, Killer Brooks, Bill Anderson, Jerry Graham, Luis Martinez, Gold Dust, Brian Pillman, Bobo Brazil, Don Kent, Lou Thesz, Dave Levin, The Smoking Guns, Chris Colt and others who worked both parts of the USA appear.
The book also has loads of trivia and interesting bios.
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