Re: pro wrestling

[TEBZ17A@prodigy.com ( ROBERT W PAINE)]

- -- [ From: Robert W. Paine * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --

Donna,

 Professional wrestling...ah, yes, I remember it well. From 1961 to 1965
we lived in Preston CT, about six miles from Norwich. We only received
Chs. 3 from Hartford and 8 from New Haven, and sometimes 6 from New
Bedford.
 Ch. 8 used to run wrestling on Saturday afternoon. I don't remember the
announcer but certainly recall the commercials for SaladMaster. The guy
who did them used to make a salad in less than a minute with all the
attachments. I'd love to have one of those things today.
 The wrestlers....Dick the Bruiser, Killer Kowalski, Wild Bull Curry,
Arnold "The Golden Boy" Skaaland (pronounced Skoaland), Bullet Bob Melbe
(sp?), The Von Erich's - Fritz and Karl, the Kangaroos from Australia,
Bobo Brazil (of the famous Coco Butt. He was for real; I saw him close
up and he had dozens of little scars on his forehead), Argentina Rocca,
Argentine Apollo. Professor Turo Tanaka, Mitsu Arakawa (not sure of the
spelling), The Graham brothers,  Chief Jay Strongbow and so many others
whose names I can't remember.
 New London boasted its own local wrestler, Joe Esposito, who wrestled
only locally.
 I used to watch Ch. 5 in New York in its WABD and WNEW incarnations,
and remember Ray Morgan. I think the wrestling came from Sunnyside
Gardens and as Morgan worked at DuMont's WTTG in Washington, I'm quite
sure some of it originated in DC as well. I also recall the theme music;
it was a march but the title escapes me.
 Real or staged, I prefer the wrestling of thirty years ago. Maybe
because I identified with the wrestlers then, and saw many of them at
Ocean Beach Park in New London and New Haven Arena. I think they were
more entertaining and not all as outlandish. Except maybe Gorgeous
George and the Swedish Angel and several others.

 Bob  

 "This is WAAB, the Colonial Networ...no, this is WNAC, key station of
the Yankee Net....no, this is WAAB, the Colonial Network....I think."

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