Dr. Darin Davis

On Saturday Jan 8th 2011, I helped out as a referee at the MIW show in Chanhassen, MN. Luckily, I got to work the main event of the night (actually, it was a request, not luck, but I felt privileged that they wanted me for their match).

The main event that night was Brody Hoofer vs. “Playboy” Pete Huge, with the stipulation that the loser had to leave MIW (and presumably wrestling).The event ended up selling out at the American Legion, with more than a dozen fans being turned away due to the inability to squeeze anyone else into the room (a.k.a. fire code).

Back in 1998, when I was still in the Eddie Sharkey/Terry Fox wrestling training camp near Minneapolis, MN (see Part 1, Part2, and Part 3), two of our new trainees were Pete and Hoofer (I think Pete started first, but I don’t know what the gap was between them). They ended up being ready for a card in the bright lights, small city of Spooner, WI around the same time, so they had their first match against each other there in Feb 1999. At the time, I think Pete was going by the ring name Damien Navarro, and Hoofer was Big Daddy Hoofer. I was on the card also, probably against the Mighty Angus, and I’m almost certain I witnessed their first match. After a twelve year feud, I may have also seen their last match.

At the end of a great contest that included some of the moves and counter-moves used in their very first match, with the crowd exhausted and getting more than their money’s worth, with a long string of false finishes behind them, Pete was victorious and Hoofer was forced to leave the world of professional wrestling.

Although he didn’t get the win, he got the girl (Pete’s valet Allison Wonderland), and he got even more respect than he already had. Besides the great reputation he has built over the years with his fellow trainees and his many opponents, tag team partners, and friends, and he has also earned the respect of many of this industry’s greatest veterans like Honky Tonk Man, “Wild” Bill Irwin, and Road Warrior Animal, just to name a few.

It’s the end of one road, and the start of another. Good luck to Hoofer in whatever dangerous hobby he decides to pursue next. I’m just happy I got to participate in both the beginning, and in the end, of Hoofer’s career in professional wrestling.

Just a quick note that I will be heading on down to the MIW show at the American Legion in Chanhassen, MN this Saturday 12/5.

Apparently there is a referee shortage this weekend, so I agreed to fill in and ref a few matches.

Sounds like a job for Marty McGwire.

Bell time is 8pm

— [Update: 12/06/09] —

I refereed three matches last night, including the main event that had a ref bump in it (got caught in a Nate Bash splash in the corner). About half the crowd definitely did not like me, but that’s the price of being a ref I guess

Saw quite a few guys that I haven’t seen for a long time. Overall a fun night.

An alternate title for this one could be “Hell Gets a Cold Front From the North”. Not exactly frozen over, but a little nippy.

I decided to check out the MIW show in Mounds View, MN on Friday night. Mostly to see K-Train return to action, but the other big reason was the poster looked like something I would have seen ten years ago. A lot of the guys I either worked with, or I went through wrestling camp with were on the card, including Daryl Hall, “Playboy” Pete HUGE, Mitch Paradise, Hoofer, Storm Wolf, and co-promoters Tim Larson and Terry Fox. There were also a couple of fans I recognized from the old days, and I finally met photographer Wayne McCarty in person after sharing links for the past year or so.

You probably recognize Terry Fox’s name from previous stories as one of my wrestling trainers. One thing a good wrestling trainer will drill into your head is “always bring your gear“. In the same way that I can’t cross the street without looking both ways, and can’t drive a car without putting on my seatbelt, it would be extremely hard for me to go to an indy show without my gear. Luckily I was able to locate most of it between the garage, a box under the bed, and a box in another bedroom.

So knowing that fact, what happened next should have been something I would have seen coming.

K-Train: “Hey Terry. You know Darin must have brought his gear, right?”

Terry Fox: “Hey Doc, do you have your gear with you?”

Me: “Uhh…. I uh… yeah.”

Terry: “Good. You’re in the Robert’s Rumble”

Me: “…..”

The “Robert’s Rumble” (we were at Robert’s Sports Bar after all) is a battle royal with WWE Royal Rumble style rules. Start out with one wrestler, add another wrestler every 30 seconds, add heat and stir. Like any other battle royal you get eliminated by getting tossed out over the top rope.

It was the main event and the last of nine (!) matches on the card, which on this particular night meant it the wasn’t starting until nearly midnight. I came out about in the middle of the pack. After a couple of eliminations we were down to K-Train, Daryl Hall, Hoofer, Pete HUGE, Mitch Paradise, one or two newer guys, and me. Seemed like old times. The final three were me, Pete, and K-Train. Pete tossed me out, and then K-Train tossed him out to win the rumble.

Overall an interesting and unexpected night. The last time I had put on the gear was December of 2001 at the Main Event in Fridley, MN, where K-Train defeated me for the MIW TV Title.

While I wouldn’t call this the start of a comeback (there are a lot of things that would have to fall in place for that to happen), it just goes to show you that anything can and will happen in the wrestling biz.

[Update 3/17/09]

Wayne posted some pictures from the show on his blog. You can see them here.

One of the guys I went through wrestling camp with back in the ’90s is making his re-debut this Friday March 13th.

After a several year hiatus, K-Train will be wrestling at the MIW show at Robert’s Sports Bar in Moundsview, MN.

[Had it incorrectly as Mound, MN previously]

Bell time is 8:30. Not sure who he is wrestling, but the MIW website has a few more details about the card.

I can hear Crazy Train playing right now… good luck, man!