Memories (And Memorabilia) Of The Territorial Wrestling Heroes

It's a lot easier to be immortal in pro wrestling these days.  Any wrestler that's made any kind of stride in WWE or TNA will have any combination of a trading card, action figure, or video game rendering.  Being captured in any of those forms guarantees immortality, but does it necessarily equate a remembrance?

Sure we all remember stars of years gone by who had the immense WWF marketing machine behind them, but what about the gladiators that came before them?  The true regional heroes of the mat that, while they may have had some small national exposure, largely stayed confined to just a few areas.  To be remembered today by both fans who saw their battles up close and personal as well as those of us who were not yet even born is a true testament to their talent.  It's also the stuff of which legends are made.


One of these men will be celebrating his 80th year this Sunday, May 13th.  That man would be the one and only Danny Hodge.  An absolute God in amateur wrestling, Hodge beat out Kurt Angle as the first Olympic wrestler to make a successful transition into pro wrestling.  Hodge also beat out Hulk Hogan as the first pro wrestler to make the cover of Sport Illustrated, although after reading the SI article it is apparent that the NCAA champion had no intention of going pro at the time.

Ask any wrestler over the age of fifty as to who the toughest grappler of the golden era was and they will most assuredly answer with Hodge's name.  His feats of strength were often demonstrated by crushing an apple in his fist and swiftly turning it in applesauce.  Now nearly an octogenarian, Hodge is still fully capable of this amazing skill.

A perennial holder of various forms of the NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship, Hodge's career was ended after a car accident in the mid-1970s.  Despite not being active in the ring for almost forty years, Hodge's name is still widely bandied about when the all-time greats are discussed.  Although he is a member of many Hall of Fame's, Danny Hodge's name is one that many feel should be in the WWE Hall of Fame.  This is an opinion shared by fellow Oklahoma native Jim Ross who had the honor of inducting Hodge into the NWA Hall of Heroes in 2010.

Hodge stays active as chairman of the sports commission in Oklahoma as well as by making appearances at events such as NWA Fanfest.  The former champion often seems to have as much fun at the event as the fans.  A gentleman in every sense of the word, his handshake shared with fans is much more forgiving than the grips which he uses on apples.

While getting a handshake and photo with Mr. Hodge would be enough to thrill any true wrestling fan, it's actually the fact that I've met another territorial great that seems to surprise most people in conversation.  Maybe it's because this star made almost a second wrestling career out of being a menacing, scheming manager in the NWA.  The man in question would be none other than "Number One" Paul Jones.

Classic wrestling fans from Florida to the Carolinas remember Jones as one of the best ring technicians of the day.  Fans who were largely unexposed to the territories and instead grew up watching Jim Crockett Promotions' World Championship Wrestling will remember Jones as the conniving manager of stars such as The Powers of Pain, Rick Rude & Manny Fernandez, and others while constantly feuding with "Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant.

Although all memories of Jones are valid, it's his wrestling years where he truly shines as a superstar.  Combined with ring technique that would match up to any current star was a flare for controversy that would fit right in with today's "sports entertainment" tastes.  From throwing title belts off of bridges to turning on various "babyface" tag team partners such as a young Ricky Steamboat, (to hear Jones tell it, they turned on him) Jones was a true athlete, entertainer and, in many ways, ahead of his time.

Speaking of those ahead of their time, imagine an accomplished wrestling star from the 1960's and 1970's who went on to design and create so many of the championship wrestling belts that we've dreamed of winning?  That would be Reggie Parks.

Even if you've never seen Reggie Parks wrestle, you have still seen his work.  Creating most of the memorable championships for the WWF, NWA, AWA, WCW, and more, Mr. Parks carved out a legacy in pro wrestling that will never be matched.  Now imagine all of that on top of a fantastic wrestling career.

Originally trained by Stu Hart, Parks' career was largely on the west coast where he wrestled under both his own name and as the masked Avenger.  Capturing many regional titles, word spread of Parks' talents for creating titles as well which began his second career in wrestling.  Since then, Parks' name has been synonymous with the highest honors in the sport that he devoted his life to.

This is just three great examples of men whose blood, sweat, and tears built a territorial industry into a global pastime.  There are many more like them, some more celebrated and some less, that I hope to be able to talk about in these pages in the future.  While memories fade and memorabilia deteriorates, stories can be passed down continually until the end of time, thus providing immortality for these legends that no other medium can.

Here we have three men that devoted their careers to a sport that they loved.  Three men who, without the aid of an action figure or video game appearance, are remembered by the fans who cheered them in smoke-filled arenas around the country.  Three men that paved the way for the stars of today and, even if just because of this article, are now known to the fans of today and hopefully thus will be remembered by the wrestlers and fans of tomorrow.

From Anticipation To Memories--Fanfest Is Something You Take Home Forever

It's a shame that most of the things a person looks forward to in life are gone in a flash. The preparation and anticipation may seem to last an eternity, but once the particular happening or event has occurred, most of the time there is little more to show for it than memories.

If you read the last two entries of this blog, hopefully I was able to convey the fun and magnitude of this past weekends NWA Fanfest. Although the entries were short and could not even begin to cover everything that went on, there are plenty of articles, photos, and even videos elsewhere to get a bigger grasp of the event as a whole.

The purpose of this blog has always been to celebrate the memorabilia of the great sport we know as professional wrestling. There were many great items available to purchase at Fanfest, and there were even more brought by fans for the purpose of being autographed. Items from both of these categories are more than just regular wrestling memorabilia. Rather, these collectibles can help ensure that the memories of this and every other Fanfest can be held just as long, or longer, as the anticipation and build-up of this great event.

The following are just five examples of my collectible memories in no particular order. Hopefully these will bring more appreciation for the memories others took away from the event, and maybe even inspire other fans to start creating their own in the near future.

1) JR's BBQ Sauce

One of the biggest names on the Fanfest lineup this year was one of wrestling's greatest announcers, Jim Ross. The appearance of Ross had fans both young and old extremely excited, as JR's career has spanned through virtually three or four different wrestling eras.

Early on, it was announced that Ross would be bringing bottles of his famous sauce for purchase. Each bottle was autographed and included a ticket that entitled you to briefly meet JR on Thursday night. On Friday, Ross was on the schedule for photo ops and autographs as well as inducting Danny Hodge into the NWA Hall of Heroes.

JR delivered a touching, informative, and hilarious speech with a wit that almost rivaled that of the Hall of Heroes emcee, Jim Cornette. After the event, Ross wrote about all aspects of the event in his own blog with glowing sentiments that seemed to echo the hundreds of satisfied fans who met with the legendary announcer.

If you'd like more information on Jim Ross and his sauce, please check out www.jrsbarbq.com.

2) Danny Hodge Autographed Magazines

It makes sense that we segue from JR to the man he inducted on Friday night, Danny Hodge. While Hodge may only be known to younger fans from an appearance on Raw a few years ago, he is considered by many to be the greatest wrestler alive today. At age 79, Hodge can still crush apples with one fist. Think about that for a second. Better yet, search out the YouTube video where he demonstrates the feat.

Hodge may also be the one wrestler who has more fun at Fanfest than the fans themselves. Making his first appearance at the 2009 Fanfest, Mr. Hodge has made it known that he does not want to miss another one. The fans are in total agreement with the sporting legend.

Like a lot of the stars, Hodge enjoys seeing memorabilia from his career. While a number of lucky fans were able to present the 1957 issue of Sports Illustrated to Hodge for him to autograph, it was another magazine that I had along with the SI issue which had Hodge in awe.

In the April 1973 issue of Wrestling Revue, Danny Hodge is named Wrestler of the Year with a great cover photo of Hodge and one of his various championship belts. Hodge said that even he did not have this issue and called it a true treasure.

I think Mr. Hodge himself is the true treasure. Every Fanfest goer should have been truly honored to share a few moments with a giant of a sportsman and an even better human being.

3) Magazines & Programs

Old school collectors have been growing ever more frustrated with the selection of vintage memorabilia available at conventions over the past few years. While many of us can remember a time where there simply wasn't enough money in the budget to purchase all of the treasures available at these events, the selection in recent years has been largely confined to overproduced DVDs and clearance aisle action figures.

While Fanfest had a great many vintage items if spotted with a keen-eye, any vintage magazine or program collector had to have gone home happy. The selection was abundant with prices that were very reasonable. Vintage Pro Wrestling Illustrated issues, regional programs, and even the well-produced Fanfest programs themselves were all available to get autographed or simply take home and cherish.

4) Sting

As I've explained in other entries, at Fanfest there are two types of stars. The first group is the featured legends for which anyone with a VIP Pass is able to obtain two autographs from. The other group is the vendor guests who are brought in by outside vendors. While with most of the guests anyone is able to go up and say hello, there is a charge to take photos with or obtain autographs from these guests.

Being an autograph collector, I've been asked the same question by many non-collectors over the years: "Why would you pay for an autograph?" These stars are not being flown in for free nor are they appearing for free. It's a gig that they are paid for just like you and I would be paid for doing our jobs.

This year, one of the vendor guests was WCW legend and current TNA star Sting. Sting got his big break in the NWA, so it only makes sense that the promoters of the New Jersey "Legends of the Ring" convention would bring The Icon to Fanfest.

With the Sting "Superfan" package you were entitled to an autographed TNA promotional photo, an autograph on one of your own items, and an 8x10 photo of you with Sting that would also be autographed when printed.

Sting is a rather private individual and is not a frequent guest at signings and public appearances, so most fans knew that this would be a meeting that they could not pass up. The picture above shows the promotional photo as well as the 1990 WCW Wrestling Wrap-Up magazine from my own collection.

5) Cornette's Collectibles

Controversy doesn't even begin to describe Mr. Jim Cornette. Just like Ole Anderson, Cornette says exactly what he thinks, doesn't back down from his opinions...and is also a gem to his fans.

A few years ago, Cornette decided that he simply couldn't hold onto every single piece of memorabilia in his personal collection. A collection that, for the record, would make every other wrestling collector weep.

Cornette's collection ended up bringing tears of joy to many fans when he decided to begin selling many items at more than fair prices to collections around the globe. Fanfest has become the event where Cornette brings out some of his best items. 2010 was no exception.

DVDs, photos, and books covering Cornette and the Midnight Express were available as always, but this year the "Louisville Slugger" decided to truly open the vault and offer ring-used tennis racquets, jackets, and even neckties to the fans. Ever want a Smoky Mountain Wrestling paycheck endorsed by your favorite star? Done. How about rare WWF pay-per-view shirts? Done. Sealed vintage NWA/WCW Turner Home Videos? Done.

It's easy to see why the buzz around the vendor room was Jim and Stacy Cornette. Not only did they have the best stuff, but they're two of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. I'll have another entry on Cornette's Collectibles in the very near future. For more information you can visit cornettescollectibles.com.

There you have it. Whether you attended Fanfest or wish you would've, this is again simply a small sample of everything that goes on at this great event. Next year, make your own memories and join Fanfest 2011 in Atlanta, GA.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...

Peter Pan had the right idea. He never grew up. Growing up, most folks can't wait to be older and subsequently try to act more mature. When they do get older, they realize that a lot of things that were magical to them as children are gone for good. Sometimes the particular idea is still there, such as Christmas morning, but that feeling of wonder simply fails to return. Thanks to an annual event every August, the children of classic wrestling worldwide can once again experience the magic and wonder that they grew up with.

This coming August 5th through 8th in Charlotte, North Carolina, promoter Greg Price brings his ninth Fanfest to life. Fanfest is an event to not only get autographs and pictures with your wrestling favorites, but to actually meet and mingle with them as well. Since the entire event is centrally located in the Charlotte University Place Hilton, it's not uncommon to be seeing stars the minute you enter the building.

Like most wrestling fanfests or conventions, the stars themselves are divided into two groups: featured stars and vendor guests. The featured stars are there to be part of the VIP admission package which entitles each guest to autographs from the legends at designated times, while vendor guests are stars that are, in a sense, sponsored to come to the event by independent dealers. These vendors charge a fee for photos and autographs with this group of stars.

Nearly one-hundred stars will be on hand throughout the 2010 Fanfest weekend. Among this years featured legends are Harley Race, Terry Funk, Dory Funk Jr., "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, Kamala, Greg Valentine, Danny Hodge, Tony Atlas, Mr. Wrestling II, Jerry Brisco, Tully Blanchard, and Jim Ross among many others. Sting, Mae Young, Sid Vicious, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Sunny, and modern stars such as Mickie James and Shelton Benjamin highlight the vendor guests.

Labeling Fanfest as a simple autograph convention would be a gross misrepresentation. It's a legitimate dream-come-true weekend for classic wrestling fans. The weekend will be kicked off on the night of Thursday the 5th with a lakeside barbecue at the hotel featuring Jim Ross' famous sauce and an appearance by Good Ol' JR himself. Also that night are Fanfest's famous question and answer sessions. This year's sessions will feature a roundtable discussion with mystery guests followed by the always entertaining Jim Cornette who has become a symbol of Fanfest.

While autographs and photos fill the days and Q&As kick-off the weekend evening activities, the Friday and Saturday evening events are immense enough to be their own separate draws. Friday night is the annual Hall of Heroes banquet also hosted by Mr. Cornette.

The Hall of Heroes is a special event honoring many of wrestling's greatest legends and is everything that the WWE Hall of Fame should be. Stars inducted in previous years such as Wahoo McDaniel, Blackjack Mulligan, The Anderson's, and The Fargo's will be joined by the 2010 Hall of Heroes class which consists of Joe Blanchard, Danny Hodge, Mr. Wrestling & Mr. Wrestling II, Reggie Parks, Billy Robinson, and Johnny and Greg Valentine. Each star is inducted by a fellow legend and each living inductee is scheduled to appear.

This year, many fans are eagerly anticipating Jim Ross' induction of his long-time friend Danny Hodge. Hodge, the first wrestler to make the cover of Sports Illustrated, is almost universally considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers who ever lived. Via his website and Twitter account, Ross has expressed what an honor it will be for him to induct Mr. Hodge and may be anticipating the event as much as the fans.

Saturday night will feature a world-class wrestling event highlighted with not just a main event, but an NWA World Heavyweight Championship defense. Current NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce will defend the storied title against the hottest free agent in wrestling today, Bryan Danielson aka Daniel Bryan. Also on the card will be the finals of a hot tournament currently being held in the Charlotte area called the NWA Future Legends Cup. Top those off with appearances by legendary journeyman Mike Jackson and Skandor Akbar and his Devastation Inc. and you have a card that would blow most indy action out of the water.

All the descriptions in the world cannot truly convey the NWA Fanfest experience. The real magic comes from the memories made during the weekend combined with the memories from years gone by. Who would have ever thought, sitting in front of a tube television watching their favorite Saturday morning wrestling show, that they one day would be rubbing shoulders, talking, and even eating with the stars who appeared larger than life on the small screen? At Fanfest that unreal dream is accomplished in spades.

I know that I can speak for nearly every "Fanfester" when I say that within the next week, the feeling inside is like that of a child on Christmas Eve. Fanfest is an amazing event that is unlike any other. The above is not an advertisement, it is simply a personal testament that I would be remiss in not sharing. This will be the fourth Fanfest for my friends and I, so please stop and say hello if you see us. If time permits, I may even do some blog entries direct from Fanfest.

Being an eight-hour haul for us, Fanfest is our summer vacation and we wouldn't have it any other way. If you've ever been on the fence about attending, this is undoubtedly the year to start. Don't let yourself miss out on anymore of the memories.

For more information on NWA Fanfest, please visit NWALegends.com.

Just when you thought the classic era of wrestling was all but dead, Fanfest proves otherwise. Through the fans and stars who lived it, real professional wrestling is very much alive. Join us in Charlotte to find out for yourself.

Pictures (L-R From Top) Include: 2009 NWA Fanfest Programs, Ric Flair looks on while Danny Hodge and Ole Anderson reunite, Jimmy & Angel Valiant reunite with "Number One" Paul Jones.