I’ve written Rearview Mirror since April 2010 and this is my 704th column.
I like to think I’ve covered every topic under our island skies, but some readers say there is a glaring omission: professional wrestling. It’s been explored at length in my free email Insider newsletter, but never in print.
Wrestling fans are fanatical and relentless. I have finally given in to their pleas and surrendered. I’ll let their fanaticism speak for itself.
Back in the 1960s
Kathleen Sattler said her deceased husband, Jim Sattler, was a true fan of professional wrestling. “He didn’t miss a match, and would take me with him every week to the old Civic Auditorium at 1314 South King St.
“I well remember names like Lord Tally Ho Blears, Ripper Collins, Curtis Iaukea, and Handsome Johnny Barend who were either entering the arena in their famous swagger or flying around in the ring.
“They were true showmen and the fans knew it was all for show … and loved it!
“One weekend, I reluctantly said I’d go with Jim because I was 9 months pregnant. The fans at those matches were very wild and would throw things into the ring or at the wrestlers themselves.
“In the middle of a match, an angry fan hurled a very hard projectile (probably a can of beer) that flew over the ring and hit me on the head.
“I staggered to my feet and told my husband, ‘I gotta’ go home.’
“‘Oh, no,’ he said, ‘We have to see who wins.’ Auwe!
“My son was born shortly after that experience. He had his 55th birthday last month.”
Civic Auditorium
John Corboy recalled that the Sunday evening wrestling matches at the Civic Auditorium were extremely popular and the stands were always fully packed.
“My Dad’s good friend, Dr. Hans Zimmerman, was a major fan and had volunteered to be physician on call for injuries during the matches. As compensation, Hans received free ringside seats for five guests.
“Each wrestler had a reputation as a clean fighter or a dirty fighter. The usual ritual was for the good guy initially to take a severe beating as a result of dirty tricks by the bad guy, but near the end of the match the good guy, angered, would suddenly recover.
“He’d bounce back with extra strength, and the bad guy was slammed into a daze, pinned to the mat, and counted out to the cheers of thousands in the auditorium as the referee declared the good guy to be the winner. Such a thrill!
“My Dad, my brother, Rob, and I enjoyed the front-row violence as the wrestlers would throw one another across the ring, or even out of the ring, where sometimes they’d hit each other with folding metal chairs.
“We loved the mayhem! With four-man tag-team matches, it was a ‘battle royale!’ Much of it was theatrical, and the choreographed ‘injuries’ seemed carefully rehearsed to prevent actual injury. But they still hit each other awfully hard, with spittle flying everywhere!
“Halfway through an evening’s matches, there was an intermission, and Dad and Hans would duck out ‘to the restroom,’ but we were pretty certain they were ducking next door to the bar — George’s Inn — for a couple of quick snorts before returning to the final matches.
“These were nights of exciting entertainment and treasured father-son companionship. I can’t remember many occasions when Dad seemed to be so relaxed and really having fun.”
Chief Billy White Wolf
Earl Kawaguchi said that one of his wrestling heroes was Chief Billy White Wolf.
“His real name is Adnan bin Abdul Kareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie. He also went by Sheik Adnan Alkaissy, and General Adnan. He was born in Iraq and Saddam Hussein was a school classmate.
“We lived in the same condo. I met Billy walking to the building from the garage. I stopped and said, ‘I know you!’ He had a big smile on his face and we shook hands. I found out where he lived and stopped by one day to give him vegetables from a farm in Waianae.
“He invited me in. He was cooking basmati fried rice and stuffed grape leaves. It smelled good. He let me taste it, and it was delicious.
“One day, he knocked on my door and gave me a plate of that rice! Later, he taught my wife how to make it and the stuffed grape leaves, called dolmas. They were the best I ever had.
“He had so many stories about wrestlers, some so funny I almost peed in my pants! He even wrote a book. We became very good friends.”
Splattered with sweat
“We cheered the heroes until we were hoarse,” Dennis Long recalled. “Our favorites were Neff Maiava, Chief Billy White Wolf, Curtis ‘The Bull’ Iaukea, Lord Tally Ho Blears, Nick Bockwinkel, Russ Francis, Handsome Johnny Barend and Kenji Shibuya.
“We booed the villains, such as Ripper Collins (who used to butcher the pronunciation of Hawaiian place names), Tosh Togo, and the ‘Missing Link.’
“If you sat too near to ringside you could get splattered by their sweat when the wrestlers were thrown around! But it made the experience all the more gritty, visceral and exciting! I sure do miss those days!!”
Wrestling role-playing
Milt Yamamoto said, “I was a H-U-G-E fan. Besides the events at the Civic Auditorium or the HIC (Honolulu International Center) there was Saturday afternoon live wrestling from the KGMB studio. Whoo hoo!!! (I NEVER missed ANY of these).
“At Puuhale Elementary, we had a foursome that was really close. We would wrestle every day during the summer. Ricky and I were same height and same weight. So, he was Magnificent Maurice, and I was Handsome Johnny Barend.
“Then there was John, who looked the spitting image of Curtis ‘The Bull’ Iaukea. And finally, Myles who was tall and lanky, played either the Masked Executioner or Killer Kowalski (whoever he was in the mood for, that day).
“After we ‘roughed it up,’ we’d go and pig out at Torii’s Lunchroom. Great memories. THOSE WERE THE DAYS!!!”
Pranks
Bobby Brilliande said he was a friend of Chief Billy White Wolf and Curtis Iaukea.
“About 50 years ago, Chief Billy White Wolf worked part-time as the manager of a small restaurant across from Kuhio Beach in Waikiki. It supplemented his income when he wasn’t wrestling.
“Iaukea happened to be driving by around at nine o’clock that night. Billy had closed and was coming out with a bag full of money, the receipts from that day. In that era, it was safe to do that.
“As a practical joke, Curtis called the police department and said a robbery may have taken place.
“They came and found Billy with the bag of cash. What are you doing with so much cash? Billy was flummoxed and they were suspicious, so they arrested him.
Iaukea’s father was a police captain, and when he found out what his son had done, Billy was released but Iaukea gave his son a lot of grief about making a false police report.”
Whose panties?
Billy played a trick on “Gentleman” Jim Hady, another wrestler, Brilliande recalled. “Jim was packing for a trip back to Honolulu. Billy had the room next to his at the hotel. When Jim wasn’t looking, he slipped a small pair of women’s underwear into his suitcase.
“When his wife unpacked the suitcase to wash his clothes, she found a pair of panties that didn’t belong to either of them, and, all hell would break loose for Jim.”
Did you enjoy professional wrestling? Who were your favorites?
Bob Sigall is the author of the five “The Companies We Keep” books. Contact him at Sigall@Yahoo.com or sign up for his free email newsletter at RearviewMirrorInsider.com.
