10/17/06

-by roger deem-

We've all got them - wrestling souvenirs.  Tidbits and gimcracks from our adventures in the king of sports.  Folks today who possess more dollars than sense can browse organization catalogs or shop on eBay for everything from authentic title belts to wrestling rings.  My own list of keepsakes is considerable more austere but for me generate wonderful reminders of my days involved with wrestling.

In the deep recesses of our family storage closet is an autograph book, the kind one might purchase at a neighborhood office supply store.  Mine contains nary a signature.   Instead, it is a repository for ticket stubs representing all but four shows I attended through the years.  I am missing only November 16, 1973, at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis and the three shows we attended on the Kansas City circuit during the 1976 Wrestling Fans International Association convention. 

I find it very telling that most of these torn ducats conjure up a vague memory of a building and perhaps a match or two.  Yet I can recall most of the line-ups and a lot of match detail for every stub from a Kiel or Arena program.   I suppose this should be no surprise--Sam Muchnick shows were always far more memorable than the fare sampled at lesser venues.

Of course there were photos, programs, magazines and fan bulletins.  Most are gone but a few bearing my photographs survive.

Because I so respected the quality of the publication, having my work published in Larry Matysik's superb "Wrestling" program was always a major thrill for me.  I have a little spiral booklet with every one of those photos preserved. 

I once had the honor of interviewing Mr. Muchnick in his office at the Warwick Hotel.   At the conclusion of that conference, he pulled a stack of tickets from his desk drawer and passed one over to me.  They were from the never-held title unification bout between Lou Thesz and Orville Brown in 1936. 

Speaking of the Warwick, I still have the room key from my last stay at the Motor Inn section of that facility.  I knew it was about to be torn down and I conveniently "forgot" to return the key at the close of my stay.  It is a reminder of all the weekends I spent haunting the lobby, the pool area and the lounge in hopes of meeting one of the boys as they passed through.

I once had lunch with Dave Von Erich in the hotel restaurant and ordered a well-done steak.  When it was served I took one look at it and then asked if there was a veterinarian in the house, certain that the animal could still be saved.  It was sent back for "more fire" and it came back bleeding like a compound fracture.   Another trip to the kitchen finally managed to bring the meat into the medium category and I decided I could handle it from there.

As I read the paper that afternoon, there was a Herman comic strip that had both of us roaring.  The title character was handing a plate of lobster back to the waiter and saying, "Take that back and cook it. It's already eaten half of the french fries!"  Twenty-eight years later, I still carry that tattered comic in my wallet and share it every time my food arrives in a state of near death.

Another of my favorite keepsakes is a program signed by my VERY nervous buddy Eddie Gilbert as he was in the ring making his St. Louis debut.  It had been years since I had scrambled amongst the fans for a ringside autograph but I still chuckle at the memory every time I see that quaking penmanship.

In fact, the gathering process continues.  I acquired a new memento  just recently.  To sketch in the background:  There was a time when Mr. Muchnick barred all the photographers from the Kiel's backstage areas.  We each received a letter stating these privileges had been revoked.  But my envelope contained an additional note of appreciation for the photographic work I had done for him and a check for $25.00.

Mitch Hartsey recently dropped me an e-mail to say that check had resurfaced and was being offered for sale on eBay by my old friend Barry Rose.  To keep people from knowing it was me,  I had my wife bid on it.  We were successful and I figure since I paid less than the check's face value I'm still a little ahead! 

There were dozens of other items through the years, most of which have long since gone the way of my beloved wrestling itself.  Most of my souvenirs were lost in a flooded basement many years ago.  Those that survive are wonderful reminders of glorious days gone by.