Johnny Ramon

 Johnny Ramon was a stumpy little guy who sometimes had a mouth too big for his body which led to confrontations with other wrestlers, but overall, he was respected and liked in the game. He tried a brief stint at wrestling, but learned quickly that the referee's job was more of a calling.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he was active for numerous promotions in Phoenix and the surrounding area as the valuable arbitrator in the squared circle.

For whatever reason the variosu luchadores such as Flama Negra, Eruption, Super Argo, Indio Seri and Caballero Rojo all prefered him to be in the ring during their matches. They often requested him when there was more than one referee working the card.

Awhile back, there was gossip he died in Phoenix, whcih ahs been refuted, thoguh he seemed to drop out of sight a few years ago. His health though,, is said to not be the greatest, but without many details offered.

Arizona saw a share of great referees in the past. Russ Barker, Bill Hargus, Firpo Zybysco...and Johnny Ramon.

The Golden Eagle Is In Bad Shape

Keep Jim McFarland, who wrestled for many years as The Golden Eagle in your prayers or thoughts . He is in the hospital and has been for several weeks, with a multitude of ailments. It frankly does not look good.

The Golden Eagle's longest run came in the Phoenix/Tucson area in the 1980s where he had feuds with David Rose, Pedro El Grande and Danny Snyder. For a time, eh held a version of the Arizona State title.

Updates will come as we get them.

Death Of Brad Armstrong

There is not much to post right now as it evidently just happened and news is sparse, but Brad Armstrong passed away just a short time ago. The only thing certain is it is confirmed.

Death Of Stan Pulaski

Stan Pulaski passed away from natural causes a few weeks ago.

He wrestled in Arizona in the late 1950s and early 1960s under various Russian routines.

George Temple

George Temple was the actual brother of famed childhood actress Shirley Temple. While he never matched her fame, he won plenty of recognition on his own within his own realm, as a star oft he squared circle.

Throughout the  late 1940s into the 1950s, Temple wrestled around the United States, though most of his actions were in the California area, where he lived.

Due to the proximity to Los Angeles and a convenient drive by car, Temple made b numerous Arizona appearances.

One his his greatest Arizona encounters is said to ahve been a 2/3 fall match with on again/off again World Jr,. Heavyweight champion, Gorilla Ramos. This took place in Tucson on April 11, 1951 at the Arizona Sports Center arena. The building was sold out.

Temple also had matches in Yuma, Pheonix, Casa Grande, Mesa and Superior.

While he tended to wrestle as a baby face or fan favorite in California, he took on the role as heel, breaking the rules in his Arizona matches. It was in this function that he offered his classic encounter with Ramos in Tucson.

El Estudiante

There have been various wrestlers in Mexico using the name of El Estudiante or "The Student" and as inside humor, George Steele did this routine under a hood, calling himself The Student in Detroit, while teaching  school by day

Arizona also had an Estudiante for a while and this was established area grappler,  Paco Nunez, wearing a red mask and hood. They called him El Estudiante because it seemed as good as anything else.

Under the masked role, Nunez had some exceptional matches with Tony Hernandez in Phoenix, when Barry Bernsten was running in the early 1980s. If memory serves right, he lost to Hernandez in these encoutners.

As he did before donning the hood, Nunez eventually unmasked and continued as himself, unhooded. El Estudiante was clearly not meant to be a lasting thing.

Museo Taurino

It is all but obligatory for wrestlers to at least make one bad movie if opportunistic to do so. Lanny Poffo as in a really horrible werewolf movie a few years back and Tor Johnson did those films for Ed Wood.  Primo Carnera was in Hercules Unchained and Kiwi Kingston was in The Evil Of Frankenstein. Me.Insanity was in The Dead Don't Stay That Way.Then we have Hulk Hogan. Do we even want to go there.......

I did my part a few years back under the name of Mr. ??? in Museo Taurino for Blue Kat Barnyard films of Canton. Essentially, I did little more than do my nut role like in wrestling.

To see trailers simply go to You Tube and log in Museo Taurino film in search.

The movie may still be rogered on Amazon. Again simply go to any search and log in Museo Taurino DVD plus Amazon.com and links will come up for this.

The story has me as Don Guillermo Monclova and the plot concerns this man, driven insane, with a bizarre revenge plan agaisnt a writer named Carlos Sanchez. It is not a wrestling film, but a bullfight film on the surface and a horror film throughout. The bullfight, for those in the know, is one of my other loves.

There are some similarities, as the movie notes. As in wrestling, the bullfight world is full of corruption behind the scenes, which the fans seldom see. In this case, Don Guillermo becomes a crusader against the wickedness in this realm, striking down those he deems worthy of his attention. He goes more and more crazy as he builds plans to trap his next victim and one wonders if he will even be able to pull it off.

He does.

The movie was shot on a budget making the late ed Wood look like Tim Burton. It is what it is.

On the tradition of Hogan, Carnera, Johnson, Poffo and others I  feel like I did my part to play in a low budget movie.

Check it out.

If you desire.....
'
Or don't.