Dr. Darin Davis

A little over 17 years ago, a skinny baby-faced kid showed up at the Eddie Sharkey/Terry Fox professional wrestling training camp where I was a trainee. His name was Pete. He had wanted to be a wrestler ever since he had watched it on TV with his mother. They formed a bond, like she had formed while watching wrestling with her father. Pete idolized guys like Ric Flair, Mr. Perfect Curt Henning, Shawn Michaels and others. Through a lot of hard work, a lot of talent, and being the “practice dummy” for some of the bigger guys, that young kid evolved into a man and wrestled all over the upper midwest as “Playboy” Pete Huge.

After all the accolades, road trips, championship belts, and injuries, his career came to an emotional end at the Chanhassen, MN American Legion last night at a farewell show in his honor. While I was just expecting to be there to witness it all, I ended up being invited to say a few words at the beginning of the show along with some of his other peers, and I had the privilege to referee his final match.

It feels almost like the end of an era for me. We won’t be seeing him in the locker room at the next show, in the ring in singles matches or with his Junk Squad tag team partner and close friend Chris Jordan. Now that he is retired, there are really only one or two of my wrestling graduating class that are still active (notably Mitch Paradise). While some of the trainees that we helped through camp afterwards had national and international success and are still working (Austin Aries, Shawn Daivari) the rest have walked away, either voluntarily or because of injury.

While it was sad to see his wrestling career come to an end, he couldn’t have had a better send-off. From the outpouring of support from his fellow wrestlers and fans in the week leading up to the event, to the tribute at the start of the show, to the over-capacity crowd of people who love and respect him.

Tag Team of the ’90s

We were called “The Tag Team of the 90’s”. Unfortunately it was the 2000’s… And I think the team only lasted for one match before we split up. My (brief) tag team partner, often opponent, and training camp alumni, “Playboy” Pete Huge is having the last wrestling match of his career on Sat. April 30th at the American Legion in Chanhassen, MN. Bell time is 8pm, but if you’re not there before 6:30 you’re not getting in.

To add to the buildup to his retirement, I pulled the following from issue #111 (Mar 12th, 2000) of Tim Larson‘s Upper Midwest Wrestling Newsletter:

http://drdarindavis.com/oldsite/umwn/

I attended the Minnesota Independent Wrestling (MIW) show at the Chanhassen American Legion last Saturday Oct 17th. Recorded video of the MIW no DQ tag match while it was in progress. Pretty brutal and a great end to the feud between these two tag teams.

Excuse the purple hue- my phone does that in lower light conditions.

Yep. I hinted at it in my previous post, but didn’t want to come out and say it to keep the spoilers to a minimum.

I’ll do a follow-up post later to talk about what things had to happen for me to get back in the ring again. Below, I’m only going to describe it from the perspective of a fan watching it unfold the night of the event.

It started out with me refereeing the first match of the night, James Dawson vs. Scott Story. I’ve been a ref for MIW at their Chanhassen events for about 6 years, so nothing out of the ordinary.

As I was heading to go out the curtain, “Playboy” Pete Huge, Chris Jordan, and Rob Page were coming out to do an interview segment. Pete told me to stay put. Jordan got on the mic first and talked about his upcoming match that night against JD Bandit. After he was through, he handed the mic to Pete, who said something along these lines:

“I am the MIW Heavyweight Champion. I am one half of the MIW Tag Team Champions (with Jordan). You would think I would be satisfied with these two belts. But I want more.”

He then pointed to MIW commissioner Terry Fox and said:

“Earlier this week, I called up Terry Fox and asked him to bring in the dormant MIW TV Championship belt. It turns out the last TV Champion was referee Darin Davis, who used to wrestle as Dr. Darin Davis, and he hasn’t defended the belt in thirteen years! I want that belt, so I challenge you to a match for the MIW TV title.”

I responded that I already have the belt and I haven’t wrestled for over a decade. Why would I come back only for the chance to lose it? What’s my incentive? Pete, Chris, and Rob Page conferred and Pete said that he would put the MIW Heavyweight title on the line. I agreed and the match was set for later that night.

The match happened, the glove came out, but in the end I lost and Pete Huge is the MIW TV champion. I managed to get a few moves in along the way and it seemed like the crowd enjoyed it. I doubt that they will ever mention the TV belt again though, as it was just an angle to pull me back in, so this storyline is probably over. As more opportunities come up, and depending on how I feel, I’m going to be wrestling at least a couple more times. [Update: the next time is Jan 3rd 2015]

Here are a few pics from the match:

photo credit: Kyle Olson at Knocked Out Entertainment

Upper midwest independent wrestlers “Playboy” Pete Huge and Nate Bash, along with legendary wrestling commentator and host “Slick” Mick Karch are the stars of an independent short film Tourvall the Terrible.

Check it out at the link above.

Last month, Brody Hoofer had what is believed to be his final professional wrestling match (I always need to qualify these things when it comes to pro-wrestling). I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at an interview he did back in  July of 2000 (about 18 months into his 12 year career).

The following interview was conducted by Tim Larson, who used to publish the Upper Midwest Wrestling Newsletter. Other issues of the newsletter can be found at the UMWN Archives page.

You can also find various interviews and pictures of Hoofer at Wayne McCarty‘s site: http://midwestindywrestling.blogspot.com

On to the interview…

Big Daddy Hoofer

20 Questions
July 22, 2000

1. How and when did you get in the wrestling business?

Towards the end of summer in ’98, I was working at my job and noticed a customer wearing an obscure ECW shirt.  Being an established ECW mark, I commented on it and sparked a conversation.  The customer was Marv Rubin and he was on his way to coffee with Eddie Sharkey down the street.  Marv asked if I ever wanted to be a part of the business.  I did, so I went for it.

2. Describe Big Daddy Hoofer, the wrestler, to us.

BDH is a loving man – well, he loves himself.  He has great disdain for nearly everybody else.  BDH is an attacking wrestler who will take three stiff bumps to get one in.  The high-flying is working it’s way into his repertoire.

3. What are your strengths in the wrestling business?

I really work to involve the crowd in the match.  I was trained to have good pacing, which as I mature in the ring has been crucial in having solid matches. I am always eager to learn and never ignore feedback.  Also, you won’t catch me whining about someone working stiff.

4. What have been your top athletic accomplishments other than professional wrestling?

I used to play a lot of volleyball, getting involved in and having some success in 2-on-2 beach tourneys.  I also placed second in the 1992 4th of July three point shoot-out at NERCC.

5. Who is your favorite all-time wrestler?

I loved Ric Flair‘s character, and marvel at Eddie Guerrero‘s ringwork, but if I was pressed to name one (with no fear of being cliche), it would be Mick Foley. I noticed Cactus Jack during his first WCW run and he just stood out
to me. I actually met him after SuperBrawl 2 in Milwaukee, so that added to my attachment to him.  His wild bumps, his fantastic promos, and his long climb to success are all things I admire.

6. What is the best match you’ve ever had?

Last summer’s North Dakota State Fair in Minot, Playboy Pete Huge and I opened the show in front of a huge crowd and tore it up for 19:58 in the 100-degree sun.  The crowd was really into us and was completely pissed when I went over.  All the boys were very complimentary and Pete and I were proud.

7. What is the first card you ever saw live?

An AWA show at the Duluth Arena in like 1983.  The main was to be Road Warriors-Hennigs, but the LOD no-showed and a near-riot ensued.  I even wrote a letter to the promoter to express my disappointment.  I did get Buck Zumhofe‘s autograph though!

8. What is the best wrestling match you saw live?

Probably Pillman-Liger at Superbrawl 2.  Right before I met Cactus after the show, I met Gordon Solie and Lance Russell.  Gordon and I spoke about that match, and I remember him commenting that the referee in that match never had to scold the participants for rule-breaking.  I thought it was cool that somebody who had been inside the business that long would look at a match that way.

9.  Quick comments…

a) Playboy Pete Huge … Pete and I cut our teeth together in the business. We helped each other learn and logged a lot of road time together.  Good guy, good worker, and I look forward to stomping his ass again sometime soon.

b) Ed Sharkey … Ed rules.  Just a tremendous asset to the Minnesota scene. A million stories, a million holds, and a fun guy to be around. I am very lucky to be under his tutelage.

c) Terry Fox … The guy can wear every hat imaginable in this business: ref, ring-man, worker, commissioner, promoter.  He loves the show and I look at him as the grease in engine, keeping it running smooth.

d) Sheriff Johnny Emerald … As many of my legendary one-liners have targeted the Sheriff,  I have a lot of respect for the old guy.  His work has improved tenfold in the last year, and is a very fair man on the promoting end.  I was proud to put him over for the WA2K cruiserweight title recently – we had a hot match.

e) Shifty … I don’t know Shifty well, but I sure like to watch him work. Great moves and charisma.  We hooked up a bit in a tag match, and I would like to see more of him inside the ring.

f) Dr. Darin Davis … A very good worker with a hot gimmick.  He helped me a lot in my early days of camp.  I like the Doc a lot, and am inspired by his gutsy comeback.

g) Helmut von Strauss … Helmut is just breaking in, but his matches have had the look of a more veteran grappler.  I’d like to mix it up with him, particularly because I think it’d be fun to stiff a Utah Jazz fan.

h) Scott Free … Scott is another who tutored me quite a bit in camp. Has a good head for the game, has a sweet arsenal of moves, and can go hardcore.  I appreciate his help.

i) K-Train … Kraig is kool!  He’s real solid in the ring, and I’d like to see him on more shows.  Key cog for the Main Event shows.

j) Ian Xavier … My partner in crime and a damn good one at that.  His 30-minute Broadway with Mitch Paradise blew me away.  Got a lot of skills in the ring and a knack for the business.  He’s the driving force behind Cruel & Unusual and I’m fortunate to have him as my ally.

k) Cynnamon … A real sweetie who loves the business.  I’ve enjoyed having her by my side and she’s got real potential.  Hope we’re back together soon!

l) Hellraiser Gutts [a.k.a. Bam Neely]… The best around here right now, and surely on his way to bigger and better things.  Has got it all and I hope he takes it far.

m) Hellraiser Blood … Blood knows his craft inside and out. I’ve always enjoyed watching him draw heat from the crowd.  The guy can tell a great story and crack me up too.

n) Primetime … I was always impressed with his spots, but I remember one time when Blood stated that no one had better psychology in his matches than Primetime.  I paid better attention next time, and I found him to be correct. That’s why his matches are so memorable.

o) Mitch Paradise … Mitch and I started with Eddie about the same time, and I’ve seen his skills skyrocket firsthand.  Probably the nicest guy in the locker room too.  Should be on his way to stardom.

p) Steve Stardom … A newcomer to the local scene with plenty of skills. A hard worker who scares some, but not me!

q) Kenny Jay … Helluva friendly guy, and I’m not afraid to mark a little about meeting guys who I’ve seen on TV for years.

r) Buck Zumhofe … Pretty cool to go through getting his autograph in ’83 to doing an angle with him in ’99.  Always entertaing to be around and can fire up the crowds still.

s) High Rollers … Great, fun guys.  They’ve always treated me well and I dig working with them.  Among the tops at working the crowd.

t) Lenny Lane … Great talent and always been very cool to me.  It means a lot to the younger workers when a guy in his position comes back to lend advice.  I hope he ends up somewhere good.

u) Scotty Zappa … This guy gets plenty of props, but I would still say he’s underrated.  All the tools you could ask for.  One of my best learning experiences early in my career was reffing a match between him and Lenny.

v) Chi-Town Thug … Talented, well-rounded worker.  I’ve seen him wrestle numerous types of workers and adapting to them all well.  I like his manager too!

w) Robbie Thunder … This guy has loads of skill.  I’ve been lobbying to get booked versus this guy – I think we’d be great together.  GET SOME GEAR!

x) Mick Karch … The key guy in getting the boys over.  I’m kind of baffled as to why he’s not featured in the big three but amglad to have him here. Loves what he does and is a wealth of knowledge.

y) Jerry Lynn … One of my favorite wrestlers to watch period.  I’d met him just as an ECW mark, and when he was hurt, he’d be popping up at the local shows.  Cool guy with good taste in music and a deserving star.

z) Stormwolf … Stormwolf can really go and we’ve had some good battles. Has been too busy for camp lately, but when he’s in there, he’s put together a good array.  Major league dropkick.

10. What has been the highlight of your wrestling career so far?

The Minot show referenced in question #6

11. What has been the lowpoint of your career?

Landing on my nuts on a top rope legdrop was quite unpleasant.

12.  Who would you really like to work with locally and nationally that you haven’t?

Locally, I’d like singles bouts with Shifty, the Doctor, and Rob Thunder. Nationally, I would really enjoy working an ironman match with Lita.

13. Who has been the biggest influence on you in the business?

Ed Sharkey and Terry Fox have shown the way, and seeing the way the Chicago guys (Pearce, Dominion, Steel, etc.) handle themselves has influenced me as well.

14.  Compare/contrast yourself as a singles and tag team wrestler.

It is easier to focus on a singles match just because the are fewer people involved.  I was hesitant to be in a tag team just because I’m a spotlight hog. In a tag battle, with rest time on the apron, I have time to work the
crowd a little more and that also gives me a bit more time to think of what I want to do next.

15. How much time do you spend on wrestling each week?

I would say about twenty to twenty-five hours.  I wish I was getting paid well to do this so I could lose the day job and focus even more on my craft.

16. What is the one thing that surprised you most about the wrestling business?

Probably the brotherhood that is ‘the boys.’  Even though large egos are involved, most everyone is in this to make their co-workers look good.

17.  Give us a brief summary of your career.

Debuted 2/99 in Spooner, feuded with Pete Huge for that summer. Formed Cruel & Unusual in the fall of ’99 and became MIW I-C tag champs.  Won the WA2K cruiserweight title from Sheriff Emer-old, held it for a couple months, dropped it back to him.  Undefeated in cage matches to boot.

18. What is the one thing you would most like to improve on?

My body. I just need to find the time to dedicate myself to the weights. If I get some muscles, I think I bring a pretty stellar package to the table.

19. If you could book one match, what would it be?

Nationally, I would like to see a six-man elimination tag match pitting Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, and Lance Storm vs. Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, and Jerry Lynn. Locally, I would pit Mitch Paradise against Johnny Emer-old in a shootfight.

20. What are your goals for 2000?

Besides adding bulk to myself, I’d like to see C & U hit the road and become known over a more vast area. Also, I’d love to go work for Michinoku Pro or something like that.

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.

After forming what wrestling critics were calling “The Tag Team of the ’90s”, and what wrestling fans across the world were comparing to the “classic” tag teams of the Orient Express, The Dynamic Dudes, and the Ding Dongs, the team of Double Penetration (pictured below) split apart when “Playboy” Pete HUGE decided he would be more successful on his own.

The breakup lead to a singles match between the two for the St. Paul Championship Wrestling (SPCW) promotion in the West St. Paul, MN armory on March 25th of 2000. The nine year anniversary of this historic event will be commemorated next week by a three bell salute on WWE Monday Night Raw, just before they go to air.

Tag Team of the 90's

Notice that even in the video Davis is clinging to the tag team picture that he had just ordered 500 copies of.

—–

The video is in two parts since I couldn’t bear to trim out enough to make it under the YouTube 10 minute limit. Enjoy.

*Video, commentary, and photograph credit:  Tim Larson

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.

If you were expecting to see a YouTube video of my actual birth, you won’t find it here. It was so long ago it would have had to have been on film (pre- VCR), and I don’t think my mom would have appreciated being broadcast on the internet with feet in the stirrups.

No, what I’m talking about took place in December of 1998. I was trying to get booked on “The Mighty” Angus’ show in Spooner, WI. Angus and I had gone through wrestling camp together back in 1997.

Angus said he’d like to book me, but that everyone else on his show had some kind of a “gimmick” and I didn’t. There was Farmer Mike, Playboy Pete Huge, Big Daddy Hoofer, The Masked Jungle Fighter, The High Rollers, Haystacks Ross, and others (at least I think these guys were at the Spooner show I’m thinking of and not a different show there, so let’s pretend they were). Then there was just plain old Darin Davis, with his black tank top and black tights.

Angus suggested that I pick something like a doctor. Maybe I could come out in a white lab coat or something. I figured why not, it’s only for one show anyway.

Luckily Opera Man, another guy from Ed Sharkey‘s camp, worked at the laundry in a hospital. They probably threw their scrubs out after a few washes, so they wouldn’t notice if a few were missing, would they…?

So I had the scrubs and I had the name (Dr. Darin Davis). Am I missing anything? A couple of days before the show, I was driving by Axeman Surplus on Minnetonka Blvd in St. Louis Park, MN on the way to wrestling camp. I had the idea that maybe I should see if they had any surgical gloves. Why not, it’s only for one show anyway.

They had a few that I picked up, and another one that I’ll tell you about at a different time. I was now officially a world-class surgeon. From Minneapolis. No, wait,… from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Yeah.

I rode to the show with Opera Man, who had sort of “retired” from wrestling after just a few matches and started working as referee Bob Boyer. Sharkey gave him the name. It was probably the name of some old-timey wrestler that Eddie worked with. It sounded better than most of Sharkey’s name suggestions. Usually he would say “Sammy Foreskin” when someone asked him for one. He was the one that told SPCW/SDW promoter Ed Hellier‘s  son that he should go by the name “Frank Stool” when he started refereeing matches. And he used it. All Eddie’s suggestions were a “rib”, and he probably got a big kick out of it when they stuck. I don’t think anyone went with “Sammy” though.

We got to the show (I think it was the Spooner Ice Arena or Civic Center) and when they started lining up the matches, commentator and legendary wrestling personality  “Slick” Mick Karch asked me, “What kind of a doctor are you?“. I was going to tell him I was a surgeon, but for some reason I responded with, “I’m a proctologist“. Why not, it’s just for one show. I’ve already got the glove.

Back in the locker room, I met my opponent, Mikey Medallion, for the first time. Mikey was going to be the “face” (the “good guy”) and I was the “heel”. I hadn’t seen him wrestle before, and he hadn’t seen me. It’s always tough the first time to figure out what kind of wrestling style a person has if you haven’t seen them wrestle. The style they say they have (cruiserweight, brawler, power, technical, etc.) might not be the same as what you think they meant. The only thing you can do is make a guess based on their size. I guessed more of a cruiserweight style, which turned out to be right.

Now comes the “fun” part. I’ve already set myself up as a proctologist, so now I have to break it to this guy that at some point that I need to figure out how to set him up for some kind of “exam”.

“Your going to do what, now?“, he said.

“I want to make it look like I’m going to examine you. You know, your… uh… prostate”, I said.

“My prostate?”

“Yeah. Like in a doctor’s office.”

“I know what your talking about. But how is that going to work?”

“I don’t know yet. How do they actually do it?”

“I don’t know man. I’m too young to know that!”

“Well, if you were bent over somehow.”

“Like after a boot to the gut or something?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok. Wait..wait. But then what happens?!?”

“Then I go in for the exam”

“Ok, but you said you look like your going to give me an exam. What stops you from actually giving me an exam?”

“Uh… I’ll have the ref stop it”

“Ok, but get him over here now. I want to make sure he knows he needs to stop it!”

I don’t think Mikey was too relaxed before the match. I could imagine him thinking that he’d talk to some wrestler a week later and they’d say, “He didn’t give you that B.S. that the ref was going to stop hit, did he? He always says that!”

The match went on pretty much without a hitch. Any men in the audience over the age of 50 started to squirm when the glove came out. Mick Karch did an excellent job as usual on commentary, building up to the unveiling of the glove by continually saying, “He didn’t say what kind of a doctor he was…” and then “Oh my God, he’s a proctologist!”

One of the equipment setups that was special for this show was that they had monitors in the locker room so the boys could see the matches. When I got back there, everyone was rolling on the floor laughing. Several people told me that I needed to use that gimmick permanently.

A great post match interview with Mick pretty much sealed the deal. The gimmick seemed to fit. I looked a lot more like a doctor than a bodybuilder or a bouncer, or a biker. It was more believable. And it worked as a heel.

I had a show a week or two later where I had to be the face. I used the same gimmick but I didn’t use the glove. “It wouldn’t work“, I said. “You can’t be a crowd favorite and do that.” I could have just tried it for one match, but I was already thinking longer term and that I was going to be doing this gimmick for a while, so I didn’t want to change anything “permanently”.

After the match, a couple people came up to me with disappointed look on their faces.  “We saw you a couple of weeks ago in Spooner. Why didn’t you use the glove on that jerk? We really wanted to see him get the glove.”

Over the next couple of shows, it became clear that I had it wrong. How could you not be the “face” with a move like that. People wanted to see a heel get subjected to it more than they would a face.

For the next three years (up until I stopped actively wrestling) I used the gimmick as a face with only a couple of exceptions. The interesting thing about all of  this is  I would have never even tried the gimmick if I wasn’t convinced at the start that I would never do it again. I wouldn’t have gotten the bookings that I know I got because of the gimmick. I wouldn’t have people that let me know that they still have a glove I signed framed on their wall.

There’s a lesson here that that I won’t dig into too deeply since it’s not that type of a site. If you’ve ever heard of things like “30-day trials“, where you can convince yourself to try something because your only going to do it for 30 days, then you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t think about it as something permanent, you’re more willing to try it.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story.

[Unfortunately, I don’t have a copy of this match or the interview. If anyone knows someone that has a (probably horribly degraded) tape of the Spooner show from 12/12/98, let me know.]