It Takes All Kinds: The People Places and Events That Make Pro Wrestling Read online

  IT TAKES ALL KINDS:

  THE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS THAT MAKE UP PRO WRESTLING

  BEAU JAMES

  It Takes All Kinds:

  The People, Places, and Events That Make Up Pro Wrestling by Beau James

  with Dr. Donnie Brannen

  Copyright 2013 by Beau James kingofkingsport.com Book Layout - Beau James Written By - Beau James Edited By - Dr. Donnie Brannen

  Special Thanks for pictures

  Fay Ferguson, Ken Cantrell, J.E. May, Karen Wade Rush and Misty James

  ISBN-13: 978-1478113249 ISBN-10: 1478113243

  DEDICATION:

  I dedicate this book to my friend CHARLIE SMITH, for his love, hard work, and dedication to pro wrestling. He is an inspiration to many of us. In his 80s, he is still making towns and hustling the merchandise tables, and even refs a time or two a year.

  I was familiar with Beau and Misty James’ names, long before I met them for the first time at our Annual Gulf Coast Wrestlers Reunion (GCWR) each year in my hometown of Mobile, AL. There is no doubt that this professional wrestling couple are some of the hardest working tandems in our industry. It boggles my mind at times to see how many events they promote each year, notwithstanding the cards they appear on around the Southeast. I think the world of Beau and Misty; I just wish we had 1000 more couples just like them. I’m truly excited about reading Beau’s new book. Be Blessed

  My Friends!

  Percy Pringle III, a.k.a. WWE Legend Paul Bearer. Beau James is passionate! About life, wrestling a s it was and how it still should be. About his wife, his friends and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so glad God brought my friends, Beau and Misty into my life. Mark 5:36,

  Pastor Bobby Simmons,

  former wrestler, referee, and office manager of Georgia Championship Wrestling.. I thoroughly enjoyed his (Beau James) first book and read it in one sitting. The amazing part was that Beau’s career was basically a generation after mine, but I was able to relate to each and every story and anecdote. The business may have changed but for the most part the boys haven’t.

  Michael Norris,

  Marketing Director, Cole Brothers Circus of the Stars. I used to hate Beau James. I really hated his guts. Looking back I was actually just scared he would rough me up because he had the reputation of a guy to just hurt people for no reason. He even hurt a few people I thought were friends, and I never understood why. Neither did they. Most of them still don’t and never will. Who wouldn’t hate that guy right? A bully that just preyed on innocent sheep. Come to find out years later, I had become this bully. The same bully I used to fear. Then one day it just finally hit me. This guy wasn’t a bully at all. He wasn’t doing this just to hurt people. HE WAS ACTUALLY TRYING TO PROTECT HIS BUSINESS FROM PEOPLE THAT DIDN’T BELONG. There aren’t many guys in this profession that you can trust or even want to talk to. At one time I would’ve said Beau James wasn’t on that list. Now I know if I really needed something he would help me, whether it be a ride, a meal, a place to crash, or advice in general. I can’t say that about too many people, nor can I say they share his knowledge and understanding of professional wrestling. And if you don’t share the same passion you need to get out of his business!

  Eric Darkstorm,

  Pro Wrestler.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  EDITOR’S NOTE i FOREWORD BY DR. TOM PRICHARD ii INTRODUCTION 1

  CHAPTER 1: UNFINISHED BUSINESS 3

  CHAPTER 2: THE GOOD PEOPLE 11

  CHAPTER 3: IN GOD WE TRUST; ALL OTHERS PAY CASH 24

  CHAPTER 4: MAGICAL PLACES 39

  CHAPTER 5: HILLJACKS, REDNECKS, AND

  TOLLHOUSE NAZIS 52

  CHAPTER 6: IT’S NOT A KID;

  IT’S A DRUNK MIDGET 73

  CHAPTER 7: “LET’S CHAY COW-FORN-YA” 94

  CHAPTER 8: THINGS THAT UPSET ME 108

  CHAPTER 9: MOMENTS IN TIME 118

  CHAPTER 10: WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME, WRONG PERSON 142

  CHAPTER 11: QUOTES AND CONVERSATIONS 157

  CHAPTER 12: SOME THINGS IN THIS WORLD YOU JUST CAN’T EXPAIN 164

  CHAPTER 13: A RETURN TO THE DOME,

  JULY 19, 2012 173

  CHAPTER 14: JUST ANOTHER DAY 180

  IN CLOSING 195

  EDITOR’S NOTE

  Those of you who read Beau’s first book have no doubt been waiting anxiously for this one, and now your waiting has been rewarded. It has taken us longer than

  expected to take this book from conception to published work, but I think it has been well worth the wait. This book is not a classic sequel, but another book dealing with the subjects Beau James knows best: professional wrestling and Beau James. If you haven’t readDo Ya Wanna Be a Wrestler, Kid?,it’s not necessary to have done so to enjoy this book, but I have no doubt after reading this one you’ll want to get that one as well.

  Once again, you get an up-close-and-personal glimpse into the mind and heart of Beau James the wrestler, promoter, TV producer, and booker; but also Beau James the man, the husband, the friend, and the disciple of Christ. He’s certainly not perfect in any of those roles, a truth no one is more aware of than he is, but he’s continuing to strive to be the best he can be in all of these areas.

  Once again, it’s been my task to edit his thoughts, rearrange some paragraphs, and change around some verb tenses, but this is Beau’s book through and through. As I said about the first book, you’ll laugh, sometimes out loud and uproariously. You may shed a tear or two. And when it’s over, love him or hate him (and there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground there), you will know him and understand him better.

  Donnie C. Brannen

  May 2013

  FOREWORD By Dr. Tom Prichard

  The title of this book says it all. It really does take “all kinds” of people, places and things to make up this crazy life we call professional wrestling. I don’t believe

  it could be approached any other way. It takes a special type of person to want to become a pro wrestler in the first place. While wrestling is a sport it is also a business. Beau James hates when people call professional wrestling “the business.” I understand his logic to a point. But the reality is ALL sports on a professional level are about business and making money, hence the word, “professional.”

  There have been all kinds of people who have attempted to live the life of a wrestler and failed. By failed, I mean they quit. They couldn’t (or wouldn’t) take it anymore. It used to be a matter of get in a car, travel to a town, wrestle, get paid, either return home or travel to the next town, find a hotel and do it again the next day. That still happens on occasion in the independents.

  But if you are a full-time wrestler/sports entertainer for WWE, your life is airports, rental cars, gyms, various cities, countries and buildings performing in large arenas or stadiums. That is more a common practice these days if you are going to make big money and become a huge star. It’s what a lot (not all) independent wrestlers strive for: the glitz and glamour, big buildings, on TV every week, movies, lights, camera, action! Working for the biggest wrestling/ entertainment company of all time definitely has its perks and

  ii upside

  But very few get the perks, and there’s not a lot of room on top of the mountain. Professional wrestling is like no other sport or business in the world. The world has changed and everything has to evolve and keep up with technology and how to incorporate the latest and greatest into their business to stay ahead. It still takes a special breed to want to go out and do what wrestlers do every week. Even in WWE. All the glitz and glamor you see on
TV has another side as well.

  While it can be exciting and adventurous traveling the world, you have to pack, know your schedule, be adaptable to said schedule, find a gym, be on time, learn how to “play the game” outside the ring as well as understanding the jungle you’re roaming in.

  Professional wrestling has always been the entertainment business. While athleticism and sport are a huge part of it, most people understood this was more entertainment and theater than sport. There was more realism backstage that fans didn’t know about. As the business opened up more and dirt sheets made their way to the public forum, fans became more aware of the behind-the-scenes rivalries and gossip. Fans knew more about their flawless heroes and hated villains than ever before. And come to find out, the heroes weren’t always “flawless” and the villains weren’t such bad guys after all. It truly does take all kinds to make this thing work.

  The pros make it look like just anybody can be a wrestler. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say, “Oh, I can do that! I took gymnastics and played football. It can’t be that hard!”

  iii Yeah, right. They take that first bump. They hit the ropes for the first time and realize maybe this isn’t quite as easy as it seems. Then you have others who can’t seem to get enough of this crazy world and the people that come with it. They are at home in the ring or in some dressing room, whether it be in a small armory, civic auditorium or coliseum. This is where they were meant to be and this is what they were meant to do.

  Growing up I read the wrestling magazines and dreamed about wrestling in places like Madison Square Garden in NYC, The Olympic Auditorium (dubbed “The MSG of the West Coast”) in Los Angeles, The Cow Palace in San Francisco, The Dallas Sportatorium, The Sam Houston Coliseum, The Eddie Graham Sports Arena and The Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, The Amarillo Sports Arena, Memphis Mid-South Coliseum, The Portland Sports Arena, Will Rogers Coliseum in Ft. Worth, Kiel Auditorium and The Checkerdome in St. Louis, Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, The Louisville Gardens, Lavender Coliseum in Columbus, Mississippi, and so many others. Not only did I finally have the chance to wrestle in them, but they all left such an indelible mark on my life that I couldn’t imagine what else could fill that spot!

  Some of the buildings dubbed “Sportatoriums” during their heydays were nothing more than big or small barn-like structures with either minimal or no air conditioning or heat. They either had wooden bleachers or hard folding chairs. Some had showers that worked (mainly cold to lukewarm water), while others might have just been a room no bigger than a large walk in closet with no toilet, sink or shower!

  I’ve been to older buildings like Houma, Louisiana that had two dressing rooms side by side, one for the good guys and the other for the bad guys. The toilet was in the middle of the room! They had a shower, but it was probably a safer bet to wash off using toilet water than taking a shower here. The building was used exclusively for wrestling, but I never understood the toilet being set up right in the center of the room. Wrestlers during the time I was growing up in the business never were known for being modest when it came to “doing their business” wherever or whenever it needed to be done!

  The mystique surrounding many of these buildings intrigued me. At one time, the good guys came out a different door than the bad guys. But when I was finally allowed access to the back, I found it was usually one big room with a door separating the middle and two doors that gave the illusion there were two rooms divided.

  The Olympic Auditorium was one of my favorite places to work. The dressing rooms have been featured in many movies as has the building itself. It was a perfect set-up for wrestling and boxing. When you walked into the dressing room, you had to walk down a short flight of stairs, and on either side was a long hallway that had about 8 dressing rooms, a shower and bathroom on both sides. I met Dr. Jerry Graham at the Olympic Auditorium one night. John Tolos introduced me as being from Texas and “one of Paul Boesch’s guys.” The good doctor brought me to the first dressing room no one was in, sat me down and proceeded to ramble on about his days in Texas and how much he loved it there. He already had had a few libations and was in rare form, but I enjoyed listening to and watching this legend tell me stories for about 30 minutes uninterrupted. As the rest of the crew started trickling in, Doc went from friend to friend and held court in various parts of the catacomb under the arena.

  I met many legends including Fred Blassie, John Tolos, Roddy Piper, Johnny “Red Shoes” Dugan, Jimmy Lennon, v Gene and Mike LaBelle and many others that impacted my life in the famed Olympic Auditorium.

  The buildings were places that we as wrestlers attended weekly. We had our own spots, and found places to hide, hang out or just explore. The Evansville Coliseum’s dressing rooms were built over what seemed like holding cells in a police station or something else that involved locking people or animals up. There was a lock on the doors, but there were a couple of the boys that brought flashlights and managed to explore that area as well. I never ventured past the front gate, but I did look through the bars and I wasn’t feeling like “tempting fate” at that time in my life.

  The Dallas Sportatorium was the classic mystical building that was talked about with such reverence that it didn’t matter it was really just a big, un-air-conditioned barn with uncomfortable wooden bleachers and one of the hardest rings in the country! Some of the biggest stars wrestled in that building and it had a great atmosphere in the arena as well as backstage.

  Downstairs were offices and dressing rooms. Upstairs were offices and a crow’s nest where the boys, families or friends could watch the matches out of sight of the crowd. Back then, the ambiance was just as important as the card itself. The Dallas Sportatorium had character. It wasn’t in the best part of town, but for wrestling fans that didn’t matter. It takes all kinds…

  I’m sure Beau will cover the places and people he’s seen and met throughout his years in this business. We all remember the things that impact us. I was always curious how the backstage looked and what was really going on before, during and after the matches. It is a world all to itself. And I still believe it should be. Not just anybody should be allowed to see the only sanctuary for wrestlers or other performers, for that matter. It’s the one place you can relax and get ready to go out and do your thing. You’re away from the crowd and able to do whatever it is you need to do to “get ready.” I believe there should be an air of mystery and wonderment left to the fans that come to watch someone do something they can only dream of doing.

  There are many types of people, places and events that make up this crazy world of professional wrestling. A lot of the places I mentioned have been demolished and are gone forever. There are other arenas and armories to take their place. The “Sportatoriums” no longer exist as far as I understand, but there are still places that independent promoters can rent out to run a show or convention that will fill the same expectations. And the bottom line is, it takes all types of people to perform and appreciate the art form, sport, business - whatever you want to call it - of professional wrestling.

  I’ve had the pleasure of wrestling in some classic places against some legendary wrestlers in front of some great fans. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Thank goodness the walls in the buildings that are still standing can’t talk! But if you get the chance to just stand in one of those relics, be real quiet, close your eyes and just listen. You might hear, or who knows, you might even see a fleeting sound or memory from the past. There was action in the arena for sure. But I’m sure Beau saw a lot happen backstage that could fill a book or two

  by itself!

  Dr. Tom Prichard drtomprichard.com vii

  INTRODUCTION

  As I have stated before, I never wanted to write a book. I thought, “Who am I to write a book?” I also figured no one would care what I had to say. Was I wrong.

  This book is out only because the first one did so well. If you have not read my first bookDo Ya Wanna Be A Wrestler,Kid?I suggest that
you also pick it up. Several people mentioned in this book are talked about in the first book as well.

  I want to thank you if you have read the first book and now are reading this book. I want to thank you even more if you bought both my books. If you borrowed a copy and read it, then now is your time to buy your own. Hey, I have bills, too. There are plans for a third book, but it depends on the flight or crash-and-burn of this book.

  In this book I take a look at all kinds of people, places, and events. I have been so blessed to make a living at something I love for the past quarter-century, and having started so young, I feel that I just might have another quartercentury on the road in me. I cannot say the same for pro wrestling, though.

  I was raised in a small town in the mountains of East Tennessee. As a kid, my hometown of Fall Branch was 100% white. Everyone was one of three things: Methodist, (Free Will) Baptist, or sinner. Everyone knew everyone and their business.

  I started in wrestling at 14 years old. Since then, I have gone through so many culture shocks I cannot name or remember them all. I have met people of just about every race, religion, shape, size, and culture, all in this crazy

  A profession of pro wrestling. Most people see wrestlers and think, “Oh, look - a big dumb wrestler.” They have no idea that it takes all kinds. I cannot tell you how many wrestlers I know who have degrees from institutions like the University of Tennessee, University of Michigan, Harvard University, and many others. Many wrestlers have gone on to be teachers, ministers, and even a governor. All you see is what you are allowed to see. The one common bond we all have is wrestling. Whether we grew up in New York City, on a small island in the South Pacific, came from a wrestling family, or grew up in a small town in the south like me, we put all that aside for the sake of doing business. We all are driven by wrestling.

  My friend Bill Bowman said it best. “We were born to entertain people, and when we are not in the ring we just want to entertain each other.” That “WE” covers people of all walks, places all over this world, and events that you just can’t make up. It takes all kinds to make up pro wrestling - good, bad, and ugly.