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| Question: I'm wondering if you have any stories about the one and only Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon? I remember watching him on Channel 12, doing his famous "Mad Dog stomp" around the ring and generally raising a tremendous ruckus. Didn't Don Owen give him the "Mad Dog" name? Mark Covert in Portland, Oregon |
| "Hello Marc from Portland. Boy, you are sure
inquisitive...and that's what we like here at the site. How ya gonna know ifin ya don't
ask all the right questions? Yes, it seems that Owen gave the "Dog" his ring
name and it stuck throughout his career. Maurice was my tag partner in the old Minneapolis
territory, while his brother Paul was laid up with a busted leg quite some time. Probably
one of the real "tough" people in all the business, and could I tell you some
stories - but not at this juncture. If you ever were stupid enough (and I mean really
stupid enough) to try Mad Dog, you would lose. Or you would have to kill him to beat him.
I witnessed him working a couple of guys over in a Winnepeg bar one night and it wasn't
very pretty. It took quite a few of us to pull him away. They had to carry the guys out or
he would have permanently injured the both of them...and they were a lot bigger than the
Frenchman, too. Maurice would -IF he liked you- make you look like superman in the ring.
But if you rubbed him the wrong way, find a place to hide. Quickly! Thanks for the note, Dutch." |
| Question: I would very much appreciate your information about the whereabouts of Paul DeMarco. Mike in Georgia |
| "Hello Mike down "Thar" in Georgia. You
"sutherin fellas" down that way sure write some really nice letters. We thank
you very much for them. Paul DeMarco...man, that was another lifetime ago. What a great
little worker that guy was. Is he still with us? Not sure. I remember Augusta, Mobile,
Atlanta, Macon, Jekeyll Island, and a host of other towns we used to work in. He was one
of the better "quick" workers of his era. Paul wasn't a real great ring general,
but he would to anything to get a match creditability. I used to have to grab him and take
him down on the mat to slow him down. He would blow me up following him around the ring,
the little demon. God's peace, Dutch." |
| Question: I would like your opinion on the following 3 wrestlers: Killer Tim Brooks, Tor Kamata and Abdullah the Butcher. Greg Dougall in Calgary, Alberta |
| "Hello Doug from Alberta. Good questions. Brooks is -and
always will be- a top hand in the business. He has made a ton of money for all the
promotions he ever worked with and he is a very nice man outside the ring. Made some nice
money for me also here in the Seattle/Portland area. Tor Kamata and I had never worked together in the ring, if you can believe that. We would have had great matches, though, because he was a real ring general and we would have had a lot of fun. He did referee a match between Jim Hady and I in Honolulu in the early 1970s for the Ring Magazine International Heavyweight Championship, which I won from Jim that night, just before his untimely demise. Tor is a really neat man. Abdullah, what can I say, we worked together in various territories and there is a picture on the site from Los Angeles with he and I and Don Leo Jonathan involved in a 22-man Battle Royal. (The Butcher and I are the only two who are already bleeding.) Abby is aces in my book, he would to anything to make an angle go and would sacrifice himself for the good of the business if necessary. Hope I get an A for my answers! God's peace, Dutch." |
| Question: I have a match advertising poster from 1965 (Cedar Rapids Coliseum) which features an 8-man Rassle Royal with Missouri Mauler, Doug Gilbert, Sonny Myers, Bob Geigel, Ron Reed, Bobby Shane, Frank Hickey and "Killer Savage." The poster has a very early photo of you without your trademark goatee. What ring names did you use early in your career and how did you decide to become "Dutch Savage?" Rob in Portland, Oregon |
| "Hello Rob in Portland. Boy, 1965...that thar is a long
time ago. Let's see, what names have I used? In the old Tennessee territory, I used
"Lonnie Brown" ( Big Luke Brown's kid brother, even though I was the older but
much smaller than Luke), then under the hood I was the infamous "Mr. X", then I
used "Lon Stuart the Mad Scot" in Oklahoma for Leroy McGuirk. Then, working for
Fred Ward, "Killer Dutch Savage". From then on out, starting in Kansas City and
St. Joe Missouri it was "Dutch Savage". In fact, "Dutch Savage" has
been my handle longer than I care to admit. I hope this answers your question. Thanks, Dutch." |
| Question: Love your answers section, it is really refreshing to see honesty and good insight at work. My question is this: can a good regional system (similar to the 1950s-1970s) replace the WWE in the next 5 years or so? Paul Yale in Portland, Oregon |
| "Hello Paul Yale from Portland. A good regional system can
become a success IF a really common sense promoter has a few buck to spend and wants to
start at the bottom and create some believable talent, not this stuff from the "west
coast schools". At the risk of offending anyone, from what this old man has seen
lately on local and regional TV both here and from Canada, the business is in dire
straights. All these people do is try to imitate the WWE and it can't be done. They are
beating their heads against the wall and they don't see it. First of all you will need a really good manipulator to program a territory down the road 5 or 6 months and not deter from it. Line up literally dozens of TV outlets and keep the venue non-WWE. These workers today (and I use the term loosely) haven't the foggiest idea how to create real red-hot heat at the arena level, let alone the TV level. All they do is take bumps. But I'm getting carried away with all this. However, HOW does one do this? That's the question that has to be answered, and as yet no one has come up with the correct formula. You can be a really great worker and still can't PROMOTE flies to an open garbage can. You can be a would-be promoter and the same thing will happen if you don't have the formula. I have it, and am retired with it. Many have asked me about it, but as yet I have only given out tidbits of information to see how they would use it. Thus far they have not used any of it. They listen and do their own thing. Good luck!!! Like I always said, "you can imitate an original, but never duplicate it". No, I don't look for it to happen...they are all clones copying clones. First and foremost, somebody has to rearrange the commission in favor of wrestling and not politics. What's it doing under the Oregon State Police Dept. jurisdiction, anyway? Their answer will blow you away...you should hear their reasoning for that one. God's peace, Dutch." |
| Question: Thank you for all your insights and memories, it really takes us all back to the good old days. My question has to do with territories. When you talk about "owning" a territory, what did that entail? Also, where is this "Hall Of Fame" you refer to, and how can we, your fans, contact them and let them know we want a true hall of famer like you included? Joel in Canby, Oregon |
| "Hello Joel from Canby. Talk about your personal
questions, you have fired a couple of them at me that I wouldn't even tell my Uncle the
answers to. Let's just say that I bought into a promotional syndication and leave it at
that. Otherwise you open a Pandora's box that could go on forever. I have no idea where the professional wrestling Hall of Fame is. Maybe some one at the Cauliflower Alley Club can tell you. I see a lot of the guys that shouldn't be anywhere near ANY hall of fame inducted into one or the other that are around the country because some of them were nothing but jobbers all their lives. Amazing. But that's life in the slow lane. Politics, I guess. Thanks for the letter, Joel. Dutch" |
| Question: I was wondering if you could give some feedback on how promotions and wrestlers were paid for appearing in certain areas. I assume there were occasions where, due to turnout, that things may have been great, or not so great. Gary in Nanaimo, British Columbia |
| "Hello Gary from Nanaimo. I'm not going to comment on the
business side of the business, simply because there are some very sick folk out there who
would take everything anyone said and turn it upside down and be offended. So this wise old
bear has decided to decline your question and let all the "experts" out there
fill you in. Isn't it amazing that today people lay in wait for someone to make a
statement and then decide it's offensive to them, and the lawyers out there make it
impossible for anyone to say just about anything without being liable for it. Are you
catching my drift by now??? We have legislated ourselves into a corner, thanks to the
liberals and the bar boys and girls. Can you even guess how many law suits are going on in
this "free speech" nation at present? In any event thanks for the question, sad
to say this great nation I love has become a melting pot for malcontents. That's what is
killing our unity. Used to be if our Presidents said we were going to war we wouldn't
protest it, but do our patriotic duty and not question more informed minds than ours. Peace, Dutch." |
| Question: I was watching an ad for the new Portland Wrestling a few weeks ago and they showed a short clip of the late Stan "The Man" Stasiak setting up some poor soul for his patented Heart Punch and then really letting him have it. It brought back great memories of Stasiak, one of my all-time favorite wrestlers--he just seemed to epitomize the old school, rough-and-tumble style of wrestling. Do you have any good stories about working with Stan? Marc Covert in Portland, Oregon |
| "Hey Marc from Portland. Stan was a real fine fellow and a
good friend of mine, as was his wife. Too bad he had to leave us so early. Very gentle man
and one of the better workers in the country. But for some reason Don and Elton really
didn't like him; I know this to be fact. We worked together in different parts of the
country at one time or another. I first met him in the old St. Louis territory under the
promotion of Sam Mushnick and Bobby Brunz. He was their Mid-West Champion at one time.
Well, he came in here for a while in the late 1960s and left. In the early 1970s he wanted
to come back in but both Don and (especially) Elton said he was worn out and let him stay
in Texas with Fritz Von Eric. I talked for several weeks and asked Don to repent and bring
him in. Our summertime crowds weren't doing too well at that time in Oregon especially. I
told them to team him up with me and between the two of us we could work some angles with
the Kangaroos. They said seeing would be believing and he was allowed to come in. Well,
Stan came in and we were the two oldest hands in the territory at that time. Let me tell
you, he came in very good shape and that particular summer, Oregon caught fire and we set
both Seattle and spot show records for summer business. The old guy was fabulous.
Everything we did made money. Needless to say, the boys never knocked the "old
guys" again...that year, anyway. Don and Elton both ate their words about Stan being
all washed up. Moral is, never say anything bad about old guys, you never know when they
might save your territory. Thanks, Dutch." |
| Question: Have you ever seen a hostile takeover of a wrestling territory? No disrespect, but it seemed as though you and Don Owens had quite an unchallenged monopoly of this area. That was a good thing, though. Rich in Troutdale, Oregon |
| "Hello Rich from Troutdale, Oregon. Good question. Back
east they were at war in some areas constantly. But out here, if you were smart you would
get the television folks on a long-term contract before you even thought about promoting,
then find some really decent "older talent" to get your show going. But you
can't tell these new "promoters" anything these days. The reason Don Owen was
around so long was the commissions were all local, each town had its own commission. When
the state commission took over, I knew it wouldn't be long before they killed the business
for everyone. The fact that Owen had partners like Kiniski, Kovacs and yours truly
didn't hurt him, either. The only time you would see Don was on Saturday night in
Portland, or when we would have a slew of sellouts up north in Washington-my neck of the
woods. He loved the notoriety but never, never, never gave any credit to us-his partners.
But that's another story. We had some upstarts try to make a go of it in both ends of our
territory, but Gene and myself would always run them out with superior talent and better
TV. Hope this answers your question, Dutch." |
| Question: Through the power of video I finally got to see some of your legendary feud with Apache Bull Ramos that I had only read about in magazines. AWESOME! You two really had the crowds in an uproar. Question: could you give us your thoughts on Jonathan Boyd? Jeff Luce in Jacksonville, Florida |
| "Hello Jeff Luce from Jacksonville Florida. Glad you
finally got to see the legendary Bull Ramos work, he was one of the all-time greats in
this business and never has received the credit for it. Even with out the Native American
persona, he would have been one of the better pure heels that has ever graced this
business. Dear sir, I have worked with almost everyone who was anyone during my tenure
with the business and I can honestly say that a lot of the people folks rave about during
that time do not deserve the recognition they have received. Too many of them couldn't
work their way out of a wet paper bag. However, BULL COULD-and he was great everywhere he
went. Even without publicity, when he came into a territory within weeks he would replace
any top heel in the area as the top dog for the promotion. As far as Jonathan Boyd was concerned, he was a fair heel, not a great one. The only territory he really got over in was Portland/Seattle, because the boys he worked with made him look super. The thing that saved him here was his mic work. Honestly, Lord Nelson Charles was a better worker. John was a pure egomaniac. Now I could have lied to you and blew smoke on your question, but you asked this old beat up man a question and the Scriptures say "let your yay be yay, and your nay be nay." In other words, don't lie. Boyd was a fair worker, the boys made him look great. Besides, most of us could eat soup off his head, he wasn't very big. All the boys who worked with him and read this will know exactly what I mean by the last remark. Ha! Thanks, Dutch." |
| Question: Can you give some background on Steven Littlebear? Edward Alexander in Parts Unknown |
| "Hello Edward Alexander. Let's see now, what can I tell
you about one of my better friends in the business, the legendary Vince Bryany...a.k.a.
Steven Little Bear? Boy, we go way back, even into the old Tennessee territory back in the
very early 1960s. Vince then was a babyface and I was a heel. I was working under a hood
as the infamous "Mr. X" long before their was a "Dr. X". I had to work
a program with Vince and Jackie Fargo up in Chattanooga, Tenn., in the old Chilhowie
outdoor amphitheater. Well, the match was going fairly well and Steve asked me to take a
backdrop for him. In those days I could really get up into the air; not too many guys
could take a backdrop like the one I had perfected. Well, I took the bump and I heard
Steve scream over the crowd "Holy Cow!" and some other superlatives. He covered
me and kept babbling about the bump. I went up and did a one-and-a-half and landed on my
side, he thought he had killed me! Generally during those days we never visited one
another's dressing rooms, that was taboo. But Steve burst through the door and shouted
"Where is that crazy masked man?" I stood up and he came over and must have
thanked me 100 times for the bump, which at the time was completely out of character for
him to show too much enthusiasm. Bless his heart! From there on out we have been good friends. Vince was one of our legends in the business, made tons of $$$ wherever he went and when he came into the Vancouver B.C. office to work with me up there, we set the place on fire. Then he came down to Portland/ Seattle and we got together there for quite a run and made lots of $$$ for Don as the Tag team champs. Rest is history. My old friend Steve is resting now and his works do follow him, he was one of the finer men I had ever met in the business, along with his old time Canadian partner, Steve Bolos. Rest in peace brothers till the glorious morning when the Lord Himself shall descend from the heavens with a shout and with the voice of the Arch Angel and with the trump of God, then dead in Christ shall rise first and those of us that remain will also be caught up with them in the air to meet the Lord, selah". God's peace, Dutch." |
| Question: I saw you wrestle at the Cow Palace battle royal in 1975.Victor Rivera was a big star in L.A. at the time and I thought they were grooming him to be a star in the Bay Area. He was the first one eliminated and never came back to the area again! Can you tell us how bad he was hurt that night? Also, how come guys like you and Patterson would be heroes in one territory and heels in another? Tom Alford in Parts Unknown |
| "Hello Tom from the Bay Area. Nice letter and hope you are
doing well. Renner was an OK guy and he did his part to help all of us get over in the old
San Francisco territory. You know, for the life of me I don't remember what happened to
Victor Rivera. He didn't get over with the fans as we thought he would, did a short stint
in Portland and Vancouver B. C...but never did get over there, either. Fairly good hand,
too. Sometimes the fans just didn't buy a guy in certain territories, and I don't have any
answers for the conundrum. Pat and I were heroes in most territories and some of them we were heels, the fans mostly dictated what you would be. That is, if the promoter knew what he or she was doing! Never try and put someone over as a heel if the fans want to cheer for him; bad business. I thank you for your fond memories and it was nice hearing from you. God's peace, Dutch" |
| Question: Do you have any stories of you or any of the other guys having problems with violent or psychotic fans? I heard a story a few years back that Roddy Piper suffered a stab wound but don't know if that was true. Curtis in Lakewood, Washington |
| "Hello again Curtis from Lakewood. You bet there have been
some pretty weird fans at the matches over the years. Thank the stars there have not been
too many of them. Some of them got violent on their way into the ring to jump a wrestler,
but during my day they had a long trip OUT of the ring and they didn't look too pretty on
the way down to the concrete floor. Nes-pa'? I was wrestling Apache Bull Ramos in
Aberdeen, Washington one night in an "Apache Strap Match" -one of Bull's
specialties- and Bull had me wrapped up with the strap in the corner and was choking the
life out of me. Well, a fan hit the ring apron and punched the big native American in the
mouth. Bull hesitated and the fan fled for the gym door. Well, that 340 Apache broke that
thick strap off his wrist and hit the floor running after that fan, who had a 3-second
start on him and beat him to the door. The rest is history. The police pulled Bull off of
the fan and thank your stars they did. Let's just say I don't think that fool ever jumped
into another pro wrestling ring to this day. He was really screaming when Bull reached
him. No, I haven't read Piper's book. Bet he didn't have too many good things to say about me, most of the boys never did. Jealousy I guess. And I don't remember giving my permission to use my name in his book, either. During my day, if you got through your career without being stabbed, shot at or cut by a fan, you weren't concidered a top hand. God's peace, Dutch" |
| Question: I remember a masked wrestler named "Super Hawk" wrestling on Portland Wrestling TV broadcasts in the mid 1970s. What was his real name, what did he look like under that mask and where did he go when he left the Pacific Northwest? Also, did you invent the Karate Thumb? Kevin in Eugene, Oregon |
| "Man, oh man!!! Kevin from Eugene...is this a test? Super
hawk, I don't remember him, maybe someone else might out there and help us with that
question. Don't know where he is. How am I doing so far??? Have no opinion about him one
way or the other. Yes, I did invent the "Karate Thumb" in Vancouver, Canada working for Sandor Kovacs and Gene Kiniski when the had the promotion up there. I have told others about this on the site, it would be on the messages board. Never used it unless I was in severe straights and looked like I was going to lose the match. It was effective because no one would expect it, and I used it at such an angle the ref wasn't sure what I did. Sad to say it was a tad bit illegal, to say the least. Other guys tried it, but they used it every match and killed the thing off. Oh well, that's what they get for trying to "duplicate an original". One of the better moves I invented was a sit down leg stretch, opponent couldn't move too far with that applied on him, and it gave me time to catch my breath. Have I passed your test??? You ask more questions than a trial lawyer. But that's good , you're paying attention when you do Regards, Dutch" |
| Question: I have been a big fan of wrestling my whole life. I grew up watching you and Lonnie Mayne, the Von Steigers, Tony Borne, etc. Now that was wrestling! Now what we have on TV is pure crap. Oh how I wish for the old days. You always made sure we went home feeling like we got our money's worth. James Lake in Parts Unknown |
| "Hello James Lake. Thank you for the nice comments about
our era. Yes, those were the days when it all made sense and at least it was moral. There
is an old saying which I invented a long time ago: "you can imitate the original, but
you can't duplicate it." That is what you are seeing today in wrestling, they are
trying to imitate the "good ole days." Try as they may they can't come up to our
bygone standards. They may think they are doing it but the public knows better. Instead of
getting someone in there to help them get their show off it's haunches, they grope at
straws not seeing reality. WWE is going to take a super fall very soon, because they need something more and more exciting to capture the "fans" attention. You see, they know that the youth of today are brought up seeing and, sad to say, participating in violence. Therefore they imitate violence in their shows. There was a time when they ran shows in every major city in the USA, but now they have been reduced to just a few of them. Now, any little promotion that comes along strictly tries to imitate the WWE. As the saying goes, "aint' gonna happen". These newer promotions have no game plan and sad to say, they will realize that fact soon enough. You're not alone in saying that "the stuff locally is crap and that you go away feeling that you do not get your money's worth". I have heard many, many folks saying the same thing. You just can't CALL yourself a promoter and put on a show-it's impossible. You have to BE a promoter and believe me, only true promoters know that fact too well. Also, you can't use inferior talent and make an "Oscar" winner out of them. Oh well, what do I know? This new group hasn't asked my opinion on what they are trying to do, so I just stand back and watch. I wish them luck and hope they will be successful. Thanks for the note, Regards Dutch" |
| Question: The Original Sheik, Ed Farhat, recently passed. Did you ever battle him? If so, what was it like to face such an unpredictable wrestler in the ring? Ken in Tacoma, Washington |
| "Hello Ken from Tacoma. No, I never worked in the ring
with Eddie, but I did know him. When you work with a gimmick like The Shiek's, you just
let them do their thing and work around their stuff, make them look really good because
unusual gimmicks draw money and that's the name of the game. Eddie Farhat was an original.
Blade happy, but an original. He made a big mark on professional wrestling, especially in
the Detroit and Amarillo territories. He will be missed by a lot of us who knew him. Thanks, Dutch" |
| Question: Do you have any plans to participate in the latest version of Portland Wrestling? L. Reid in Yacolt, Washington |
| "Hi L. Reid from my town, beautiful, peaceful Yacolt. (The
best-kept secret in Clark County. Better not say anything, people might want to come and
see us. Stay away people! A nice place to visit, but we don't need any more people here;
we like it the way she is. Right, Mr. Reid?) Now to answer your question, will I be doing any commentary on the "new" Portland Wrestling Show? My guess is no! They have not approached me to do anything with the show, but they don't hesitate to use my name when they are advertising the show, without my permission. I haven't said anything to the "promoters" of it and they haven't contacted me. Me thinks there is too much jealousy there. I might have an idea to make it successful, don't you see. We'll see if they approach me, but I think they won't. There are too many factors that say they won't and if I knew you better I would tell you about them. But as for now, no...I (at this time) will not be doing the commentary. Thanks, (your neighbor up on Kelly Hill) Dutch." |
| Question: Just wondering if I could get a little background on the Iron Shiek. What was he like outside the ring and was he really a world-ranked amateur wrestler from Iran? Your site is one of my favorites! Rich in Troutdale, Oregon |
| "Hello Rich from Troutdale. Here is a little background on
the Iron Shiek. (Very little.) When he was first sent in here, he was sent to learn how to
work. Greener that a rope and wouldn't register, nor sell anything any of us did. His
amateur background instilled a lot of pride in himself, but we very quickly taught him
humility was a better route, especially among the men he had to work with here. He was a
good amateur from Turkey and not Iran (Iran was just his gimmick -remember the hostages-)
he hoped to capitalize on that here, which didn't happen. His last match here was with me
in a coal-miners glove match (you can get the tape of it from Tom Voigt, called
"Savage", off the site here). Guess who won? You guessed it, but in doing so, he
was made to look like Superman. Then he left for NYC and was a much more polished worker
and he never looked back or thanked anyone. They never do, Rich. I recently sent a letter
to Gov. Ventura through his private secretary, Dee, and he never replied. They never do,
Rich. Wonder how all these legends are going to make out when they face the
"judgment" when HE ask "have you kept my Law and did you humbly thank the
men I sent unto you, who made you what you became??? God's peace, Dutch." |
| Question: You probably don't remember how awed I was when I stood at your doorstep waiting to collect the paper route money for The Columbian. I remember listening to my uncle Larry Teters talk about his time as a trainer for Portland Wrestling back in the 1960s. I remember that you were always my favorite wrestler, then Adrian Adonis and Tony Borne. Tony Kilburn in Portland, Oregon |
| "Thank you Tony from Portland. Very nice letter. Adrian
Adonis is gone, but Tiny Borne is still with us...last I heard. Maybe someone knows
something I don't. I had no idea you were my paper boy for the Columbian back then. Hope I
kept my bill paid. I have never heard of Larry Teters and I didn't know or ever heard of
during our era anyone calling themselves a "trainer" for the wrestlers. We
didn't have "schools" back them, you just went to a promoter and asked for a
tryout. If you could stay with the guy they put you in with, maybe -just maybe- you would
get a break. Thank you for allowing me to be your favorite pro wrestler. I'm almost 68 now
and the Lord is still blessing me with good health and a fairly sound mind. Again, thank
you for the great letter. God's peace, Dutch." |
| Question: I started watching wrestling in early 1975 and my aunt would take my brother and cousin to all the matches at the Seattle Center Arena. That year Jimmy Snuka and yourself were in a bitter feud with the Royal Kangaroos. On Christmas that year my mom gave ringside tickets to my brothers and I and in a three-out-of-five-falls match you and Jimmy won the titles! Needless to say we were ecstatic - I still have pictures of you guys popping champagne after the long-awaited victory. I have been a fan of wrestling ever since. The next year my aunt struck up a friendship with Bull Ramos back then and he actually came to our house and drove to the matches with us one night. Bull was wrestling you in a coal-miner's glove match. I wanted you to win but was afraid of Bull (sitting two feet from me in Aunt Sally's green Pinto) so I played it cool. I proceeded to ask the one question I really didn't want the answer to. Who was going to win? Bull told me that the coal-miner's glove match was your specialty so you would win that night. (But he'd get you in a strap match down the road.) Wrestling fixed? Oh my gosh! I was very happy to see you beat that guy - to this day he is one of the best heels I've seen in this sport, bar none. Do you know if Bull is still around? You and Snuka are still my favorite tag team of the last 27 years of watching wrestling. Eric Knutson in Federal Way, Washington |
| "I'll be dipped! Eric Knutson from Federal Way, what a
nice letter, one of our better ones. So your aunt Sally and cousins were
"Apache" Bull Ramos fans? The traitors! I'll let you in on a little secret: SO
WAS I. Bull is an immortal in the business and one of the better heels that has ever
graced the ring. He should be in the hall of fame. Bull lives in Houston, Texas and is not
in the best of health at present. I placed his phone number on the site in an answer, to
another fans inquiry, it's somewhere in the message section, you'll have to look it up and
call him. I am sure glad that you remember Jimmy Snuka and I in your memories, we were the
most successful tag team ever in the Northwest, for that matter anywhere we went. Not
bragging, just stating a fact. Wonder if anyone will ever bring my name up for the pro
wrestling hall of fame? They probably won't, but they will bring up the names I helped be
"famous." Oh well, that's life in the slow lane. Again, thanks for the letter and God's peace, Dutch." |
| Question: I came from North Carolina in 1963. There was a wrestler from the Mid-Atlantic area called the Great Bolo. Do you remember him? Larry Harrison in Shelby, North Carolina |
| "Hi Larry from Shelby, glad to see you are still a fan of
the "old school" guys. No, I never wrestled with the "Great Bolo."
However, I did know of him and someone told me that he was Al Lovelock when he was very
young in the business. If I am wrong, maybe someone else would be kind enough to shine
some light on the subject for us. Thanks for the note, Dutch." |
| Question: I noticed a photo of Earl Maynard. Did you ever wrestle him? Any photos or videos of your matches with he or Rocky Johnson? DTA John in USA |
| "Yes, I worked with Earl Maynard in Canada several times.
He was ok, but he never did break into the championship market across the nation. Kind of
floated between the prelims and semifinals. Nice guy though, enjoyed working with him. He
got a break in Hollywood with several pictures, bit parts, have no idea where he is today.
I wish him well though. Never had to work against Rocky except a couple of times. He was usually my partner in several tags and 6-man tags. Rocky was a great baby face and a money maker and if he liked you, he made you look like a million dollars before he beat you. He had one of the superior dropkicks in the business. Could stand nose to nose with you and still dropkick you. He'd get up so high he looked like he was coming down on you. Great guy and he went to church with me on several occasions here in the Vancouver, Wash. area. We made many road trips together and had a ball. I miss the old potato artist. God's peace Dutch." |
| Question: Can you please tell me how the Lord was able to get a hold of your life and change you? Could you please give me your opinions on what the following wrestlers were like outside the ring: Big John Quinn, Bulldog Brown, Dynamite Kid, Jimmy Snuka, Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie, Dr. D. David Shultz, John Tolos. Greg Dougall in Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| "Boy oh boy Greg from Calgary, you want me to write a
book. Let's just say the Lord saved my life and I spend every day left of it trying to pay
Him back, by doing what He asks of us and let's leave it there because space doesn't
permit. It's still an unfinished work for Him, but if I'm willing to made willing, He will
finish what He has started in me and for me, praise His Holy name. Secondly, thank you for the nice compliments about the talent we had during that era, in B.C. but you missed a very important group: Gene Kiniski, Don Leo Jonathan, Dean Higuchi, Steve Bolus and Roy MacClarity, not to mention Eric Froleich. You asked me what I thought about certain men. I won't lie to you or blow smoke your way, so here goes: John Quinn: a fair hand but not the quality of some of the other men you mentioned. Bob Brown: a great hand and a supreme money maker, my partner for two years before we worked the split. Tommy (Dynamite Kid): good hand and a better shooter. Jimmy Snuka: what can I say, he was my partner for a long time and one of the better workers this business has ever known, wonderful personality, super neat fellow and he should be in the wrestling hall of fame. (Wonder why they haven't ever brought my name up for the HOF?) Archie Gouldie, the Stomper: class "A" act, fine hand and drew money wherever he went. David Shultz: don't think much about him at all. Johnny Tolos: what a character and a gentleman to boot, one of the finer people in the business, and I hope to see him somewhere in the future at one of these reunions. Well now, I have told you all I know. But the fellows you failed to mention are the guys that kept the territory going during our glory years, those are the men that made Vancouver B.C. wrestling what it was "when we were young". I just worked there. God's peace, Dutch." |
| Question: Did you ever work with the regular visitors to Aussie like Art Nelson, Bulldog Brower, Waldo Von Erich or Cyclone Negro? Greg in Brisbane, Australia |
| "Hello and "g`day" Greg for Brisbane, Australia!
Yes, I worked plenty of times with Art Nelson in Amarillo and Kansas City and Waldo in
Atlanta. Bulldog Brower? I don't remember working with him although I may have years ago.
Now, Cyclone was a different story. Killer Carl Cox and I worked with him all over Texas
in the early 1960s. Fantastic worker and a great person to say the least. Come to think of
it, I may have worked with Brower in Canada at one time or another. Thanks for the note. God's peace, Dutch." |
| Question: I'm 34 years old and my earliest Big Time Wrestling memories go back to Dutch Savage/Jimmy Snuka and Buddy Rose/Jesse Ventura. Not many wrestlers today have the heart that wrestlers of your day did. My grandfather and I went to the Seattle Center Arena every other Wednesday pretty much from the late 70's to the late 80's (I still have quite a few ticket stubs). He was a big fan of yours and we talked about Big Time Wrestling until he died in '98. I loved seeing Andre when he came to town. I mostly wanted to write to you to say thanks and I sure miss the brand of wrestling that Don Owen promoted in this area. Whatever happened to Steve Regal? Or Sandy Barr for that matter. One other question: I have a long standing bet with someone that Dizzy Hogan once had a partner, "his brother" Terry Hogan. Did these two not go on to become The Hulk (Terry Hogan) and Brutas the Barber Beefcake? Todd in Seattle, Washington |
| "Well hello Todd from Seattle, and thank you for the very
nice letter. It's always nice to find people out there that are very positive and happy.
Personally, I'm sick to death of the "bah humbuggers" who sit around and do
nothing but complain about everything and what they should have done in their lifetime and
what you and I should be doing with ours. To heck with them. Your letter was refreshing and really, really well-received by this old man. Glad to hear your grandfather was a fan. God rest his soul. Yes, and Andre is gone too, one of the better lights of our business back then. I hate to correct you about Don Owen doing the promotion in the Washington area; he got all the credit, but dear Todd, I was the boss and the owner of the Washington territory. It wasn't until 1977 did I let Don and his brother buy into the Washington end of the territory, and I into the Oregon end. We were 33 1/3 owners of the territory, but Don owned Portland (the city) and the television in the Oregon territory. His brother Elton owned the rest of Oregon. That's how it was. So now you know. Steve regal came in to the picture when I was just about ready to retire, and I have no idea where he is today. Nice young man though, and a good worker. Sandy Barr -one of my better friends- has a flea Market on Martin Luther King Blvd. in downtown Portland and still to this day promotes a few local wrestling shows. Sorry to inform you but I didn't keep up on the Hulk or his brother, I was gone before WWF moved into the PNW and killed off the Owen's promotion. Sorry Todd. Well, you have a great holiday season and pray for this old man, and again thank you for the great letter. God's Peace Dutch." |
| Question: In the late 1970s you brought your show to Scappoose High. You came out sunburned in cutoffs giving us Scappoose people a bad time for you not catching any fish. You were a very entertaining speaker. Anyway, I brought my future wife to watch wrestling and during one match, Buddy Rose ended up hanging upside down over the ropes with his trunks all the way down to his knees for about ten seconds. Was this a mistake? It was my wife's first {exposure} to pro wrestling. Mike in Scappoose, Oregon |
| "Hello Mike from Scappoose. Yes, I tried fishing over
there at that time for bass, but had no luck at all and I was a premiere bass fisherman at
that time. I tried all the sloughs around that area but got skunked as I remember. Dern
the luck anyway. As far as Rose losing his trunks, I don't remember, but I don't think the fans were too crazy about old "dough boy" anyway. He wasn't much to see with -or without- his trunks. No, it wasn't a mistake...a little over-exposed at the time, but I guess it could have been accidental. Thanks for the nice note and I hope the fishing has picked up over there. I'm catching plenty of salmon, thanks to my friend , Ron Nanney, showing me how to be successful at it. He should be a professional guide but he isn't at this time. Thanks, Dutch" |
| Question: I've been looking for some of the 1970-1972 videos of wrestling in Portland...do any exist? I tried calling KPTV and they told me "no archives". My son has not seen what real wrestling was like! Larry in the United States |
| "Hello Larry, sorry but I haven't the foggiest idea where
in the world any of those 1972 masterpieces are. Now, if some kind fan would enlighten us
I for one would surely appreciate it very much. You see, I never thought during those days
that my now-deceased partner wouldn't keep any (or at least some) of the classics between
Bull Ramos and myself and the original "Coal-Miner's Glove" match. There were
hundreds of other matches, like the time Dory Funk jr. threw me up into the ring lights
and the glass beat me to the mat and cut me to pieces. Oh well, those WERE the days. Again, sorry... maybe someone out there will help us out. Regards, Dutch." |
| Question: Hi Dutch, great site. It's always a pleasure to look at the correspondence and relive what I believe was the best wrestling in the world in that snapshot of time. I would like to make a replica of the Pacific Coast Championship belt that existed in the Vancouver area. Mark Lewin won the belt from Lonnie Mayne on February 9, 1970 in Vancouver to become the first recognized champion in the British Columbia/North Washington area. I would like to make a replica of the belt, based on pictures I collected over the years. I have the exact crowns that were used, which come from the automotive industry, but there was other hardware on the belt, such as the center globe and other fixtures on the front plate that I'm having difficulty identifying. Do you have any recollection as to where these other fixtures came from? This was a classy belt that disappeared after Tomko took over; I imagine that Kiniski would have the belt now - do you know? Thanks for your time Dutch! Gary in Nanaimo, British Columbia |
| "Hello Gary from Nanaimo, B.C. Thanks for the nice
comments about our era, yes they were the best of times for professional wrestling.
Probably Tomko still has the belt. (And Mark Lewin wasn't the first Pacific Coast
Champion...that's hearsay and a Tomko gimmick.) Tell me which belt you are referring to
and what color it was and I'll tell you what is really was. Gene wouldn't have it
either...Tomko is probably sleeping with it. Thanks, Dutch." |
| Question: In the 1960s I remember a wrestler named Prince Kuhio or Kah he Ho. (The late Haru Sasaki had something to do with bringing him to the Northwest.) He was U.S. champion at the time. Whatever became of him? Did you wrestle him when you were in Hawaii? I also want to say this is a great site for wrestling fans. I'm in my 50s and still wrestle in freestyle tourneys. What kind of amateur wrestler were you? Mike in Scappoose, Oregon |
| "Hi Mike from Scappoose. Are you out of your mind...still
doing freestyle at your age? What is it, ego? Man, didn't you ever read the Scripture
"Bodily exercise profits little, but the beginning of all wisdom is the knowledge of
the Lord". I read that after my 35 years in the ring and stopped working out that
day!!! Hey Mike, you try a single-leg or a double-leg Russian on me and I'll stick it in
your ear for you, even at 67 years of age! Glad to see you're keeping in shape. Prince Koheo (Curtis Eowkeia) played tackle for UCLA and then on to the 49ers before coming into wrestling. Heck of a guy and he ate amateurs for lunch. Seriously now, thanks for the nice letter and God's peace, Dutch. (I was a terrible amature wrestler, but all-state in football, basketball and track in Maryland.)" |
| Question: First a little gushing, then a couple questions. When I was 14 I realized what a great wrestler you were. I saw a wrestler who always had dull matches, a big guy who couldn't move well, but then I saw him wrestle you and all of a sudden he was a great wrestler. Later I saw the pattern, every guy who wrestled you was a great wrestler. Of course the reality was you made everyone look like a great wrestler. I always tell people that you were the Ric Flair of the PNW, you could get a great match out of anyone. Now the questions. 1. Who was the Masked Mauler? He teamed with Bob Remus. 2. Did you book your own matches, some of the endings were very creative. 3. I saw you wrestle Gene Kininski in Seattle where you went up on the turn buckle and slipped off, falling to the floor outside. Kininski broke character and seemed very concerned and the match ended. Was the injury real? I had the impression that you were supposed to win that match. Thanks for all the great memories. Rich Davis in Sacramento, California |
| "Hey Rich Davis down there in Sacramento CA. After all
that gushing you just did, this grateful old man is now 15-feet tall. What a nice letter.
I'm going to keep this one for my grandkids. Plus, if I ever get a chance to see some of
the guys I started and built up for this business, I'm going to show it to them and say,
"See, someone knew what was going on, back then, and you thought you had all the
talent yourselves." Rich, I learned from two guys early on who taught me to make the
other guy look good, even if he was a dead beat, so I would look like I was beating a
champion in every match. Those guys were Danny Hodge and Harley Race. Always make your
opponent look like a million dollars so it will look like you just beat a great talent,
even if you had to lead him around the ring like a puppet. Do it for the sake of the match
and the business. That work ethic followed me throughout my entire career. I'm glad you
were paying attention. The "Masked Mauler" was none other than Luke Brown, my adopted brother, who passed to his rest in November of 1997 and I still miss him. Bob Remus became Sgt. Slaughter in case you didn't know, which you more than likely do, with that keen eye of yours. The Kiniski match was a work. I had to put him over some way so we could work a return without killing off the heat we had between us in Seattle. Besides, he was the Canadian Champion and he and I were tag partners up in Vancouver B. C. at that time. Now do you see what kind of sense that finish made? Didn't hurt either territory! Nes-pa'.?? You're more that welcome for the memories and thanks for being such a wise fan. God's peace, Dutch." |
| Question: Dale Lewis seemed to get a lot of main events in the southeast/Midwest during the mid to late 60s. He didn't get many main events here as "The Professor" but during his best run (possibly 1966-ish) what were his strengths and weaknesses as a performer? Rich in Seattle, Washington |
| "Rich in Seattle, Dale Lewis was a friend of mine, we
worked together in the old Atlanta territory. He did pretty well then because he had just
won a medal in the Olympics and was fresh in the business. Then as he went along most of
the boys wouldn't work with him because they were afraid of him being a college shooter
and the like. That never bothered me, that's why I worked a few programs with him here. He
did well for a while here and the same thing happened, the guys became afraid of him and
he wouldn't take bumps for them or sell them the way they wanted him to. Me, I loved
Dale... he was aces in my book and I always had great matches with him and he never hurt
me at any time. He was a dern good mic man, very educated and it showed in his interviews.
Weaknesses? Dale didn't have any. Thanks, Dutch" |
| Question: What was your bloodiest match and in what town? Jeff in Montesano, Washington |
| "Hi Jeff from Montesano. One of the bloodiest matches I
ever participated in was in the Amarillo, Texas territory in a spot show against Dory Funk
Jr. Bled so much and so hard there was blood all over the front row spectators! They all
moved out of their seats and stood in the aisle. Funk was cut up pretty badly, too...he
passed out from loss of blood. The ref stopped the match and they took me to the doctor
that night. No hospital in town and his assistant (his wife) had to hold my head together
while he stitched me up. That was ONE of the bloodier, there were many, many more. Thanks, Dutch." |
| Question: I am from Roseburg and remember many shows at the junior high and at the fairgrounds. My father has many newspaper articles from the 1950s and 1960s. His favorite was Luther Lindsay. Do you remember wrestling Luther and what kind of guy was he? Scott Gilley in USA |
| "Hi Scott from Roseburg. Although I never wrestled Luther
Lindsey, all I have ever heard about the man is that he was a great worker and a fine
shooter. Seems as though everyone really liked this fine man. I have never heard a bad
thing about him during my career. He was Shag Thomas's partner for quite a while. May the
lord rest him until He comes to take us home. Dutch." |
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