Watching Vancouver's All-Star a family affair
SLAM! Wrestling Guest Column
By MAURO RANALLO -- For SLAM! Wrestling
Growing up, there weren't many things my family did together. The
one activity all of us enjoyed as a unit was tuning in to All-Star
Wrestling on BCTV every Saturday afternoon and heading to Vancouver
to take in the weekly cards on Monday nights.
It was a tradition that began when my grandparents and my mother
immigrated to Canada from Italy in 1964. Not being able to say so
much as "hello" in their new home's language, they were attracted to
the wrestling warriors due to the fact that the action housed in the
arena told a story and they could be entertained even though
they didn't understand a word avuncular announcer Ron Morrier was
saying.
My mother was enraptured by what she saw in the squared circle, and
to this day I don't know if it was because of the buff bodies
paraded around in what can best be described as their underwear or
the morality play of good versus evil. Needless to say, it didn't
take long for my mom and her parents to become fixtures at the
weekly shows put on at the storied PNE Gardens in Vancouver and in
the cozy confines of the Mission Legion.
During the sixties and seventies, the Vancouver promotion was under
the aegis of the oldest governing body in pro-wrestling, the
National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in 1948.
Back then, Vancouver was considered one of the jewels in the NWA
crown. The territory featured
Gene Kiniski, who defeated Lou Thesz
in 1966 for the hallowed heavyweight championship before
relinquishing it to Dory Funk Jr. in 1969.
|
Don Leo Jonathan.
Photo by Terry Dart.
CHAT ALERT: The legendary 'Big Thunder' Gene Kiniski will be joining SLAM! Wrestling for a live chat on Friday, November 10 at 3 pm ET. Send your questions in advance by clicking here.
|
Other grappling greats who graced the ring in Lotus Land included
Don Leo Jonathan, Rocky Johnson,
Bulldog Bob Brown,
John Tolos, Steve Little Bear, Rowdy
Roddy Piper,
Rick Martel, Playboy Buddy Rose, and Chief Jay Youngblood.
One of the earliest recollections I have of seeing the weekly TV
show was as a timid six year old. I was subjected to the vile visage
of The Brute on my boob tube and it sent me scurrying to my room in
fear. It took plenty of coaxing from my amused dad before I finally
emerged from under my bed ready to confront the freakish face
staring at me from the 21-inch screen. My father, who started watching the mat maniacs when he came to the True North Strong and Free from Italy to exchange vows with my mom in 1967, tried to tell
me that The Brute was just pretending to be crazy. He said he was
just part of the show. Of course, to a kid who believed Santa
existed well into his teens, I was having none of it. I thought the
Brute and all the other characters whom we allowed into our humble
abode every week were really as they appeared to be on television.
My dad was able to ascertain early on in his viewing career that
Pro-wrestling was "fake", but he allowed himself to suspend
disbelief as myriad others did back then because the product looked
"real". The two combatants applied holds and counterholds and
appeared to really be trying to beat each other.
Granted, there were
some histrionics thrown into the mix, but wrestling remained the
focal point. I can't count how many times I was vituperated at
school for steadfastly maintaining that pro wrestling was the
genuine article and that it should be held in the same high esteem
that was afforded other sports like hockey and baseball. Of course,
I ended up eating my words when the "business" began being exposed
by the mainstream media.
I must admit I felt like I had been betrayed by my best friend when
I discovered that the combatants really didn't despise each other
and that the "sport" was as real as Rena Mero's chest. After a brief
mourning period, I decided it didn't really matter to me that it was
just a show. I still loved it.
Pro wrestling has been in my
blood stream since I was in diapers and I envisioned myself being
the World champ one day. Of course, the man upstairs had other ideas
as he "blessed" me with a physique more suited for curling and
slo-pitch than for the rigors of 'rasslin.
I did not let my dimunitive size stop me from pursuing a career in
the world of wristlocks and dropkicks. Heck,if I couldn't create the
action maybe I could describe it. You see, there are many people who
believe that when the doctor, upon my introduction into this world,
spanked my bottom I started blabbing not bawling. Yes, it's true!
It's true! (to coin a phrase) I enjoy talking as much as I enjoy
wrestling. I decided if I couldn't be the next
Bruno Sammartino, I
was going to be the next
Gordon Solie.
Thankfully, I was able to see
my dream come to fruition earlier than I could ever imagine as I
made my debut as a wrestling announcer/manager in 1986 at the tender
age of 16 for the same All-Star Wrestling show I had grown up
watching. Over the next three years I would become one of the most
despised heel managers in the Pacific Northwest.
The opportunity given to me by Promoter
Al Tomko would help a launch
a successful 12-year boadcasting career, which eventually led to a stint with the
the revamped (but on hiatus) Stampede Wrestling in Calgary.
Mauro Ranallo can be heard in January doing play-by-play for a Kickboxing and Muay Thai fighting card on TSN. He can be emailed at MRANALLO@webtv.net.
