 Big_bam |
November 30th, 2006 13:34 GMT |
 
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Topics: 138
Replies: 153
Member
Post: #347586
PT: #1/5
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Does anyone have stories and list of the different promotions that Cannon was involved in over the years as a promoter?
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| Shah |
April 27th, 2007 15:40 GMT |
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Topics: 142
Replies: 348
Member
Post: #380051
PT: #2/5
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Pedro Martinez's NWF
Farhat's Big Time Wrestling
Superstars of Wrestling
International Wrestling (Universal Sports)
and an IWA promotion from somewhere. the only reason i know about this one is because i bought a program of it once from George.
This all that i know of for certain.
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Topics: 141
Replies: 718
Member
Post: #380158
PT: #3/5
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Jim Lancastere here...The first promotion I came in contact with regarding George Cannon was on Jan. 6, 1975, when we appeared in Savannah, Georgia, for the first IWA TV tapings. While all I was looking for was a paycheck, it was the first opposition group I was part of.
I was working for Fred Curry out of Columbus and Dick the Bruiser in Indianapolis at the time. We drove 1,600 miles, worked three tapes, got paid $150, plus trans and hotel.
Myself and others just showed up as meat for the stars, but I got to see a lot of guys I had never seen before. The NWF guys and Pedro Martinez being most prominent.
I was sitting in chairs near the ring watching ringside promos being made chatting with Cannon. As time grew near to let the crowd in, Eddie Einhorn came up to Cannon and said within earshot of me, "Let's ask the TV losers to pose for pictures like the others. It might make them feel good".
In a side note, I traveled back to Georgia later that year with Fred Curry's group who was working with Thunderbolt Patterson. I worked under the name of Smasher Stone and had tag matches with Benny & Billy McGuire. We worked in Savannah for $40 on July 10, Statesboro for $25 on July 11, and Newnan for $25 on July 12. We traveled 1,830 miles on that trip. Jim Wilson may have been involved in those shows.
Back to Cannon. On Oct. 21-22, 1975, Cannon did TV tapes in Toronto. I remember Ed Carpentier and Killer Kowalski being there. In an apparent dispute with Cannon, Kowalski left during the tapings the first night. Someone called the Osborne Brothers were getting pushed. I think Billy Five, Sailor White(s), Luis Martinez and Bull Johnson were there. Got paid $225 for the two nights and drove 890 miles.
The next time with Cannon was the Superstars of Wrestling that was being taped in Windsor, I believe in 1982. This was the group that ran at Cobo a few times. This was the beginning of the end of my relationship with that group.
Jerry Graham Jr. began to have influence and things suddenly turned from the original plan. I was to be put over strong as Smasher Stone. After a few shows, Rick O'Toole was to join me at Crusher Stone as an obvious heel team.
On the first show, Hans Mueller (Bobby Colt) and I teamed to go over Greg Wojo and Rick Bolton. Mueller took the fall on Bolton. I nearly never got paid. The WWF guys were coming in on top and I figured all the money was going there.
I called Cannon who told me the check was in the mail. A month went by and he told me it kept getting returned to him. A month later I returned to Cobo for a show and Cannon handed me the envelope showing all the returns. The check was for $30 Canadian.
That night I put over some black worker in 2 minutes whose name I've forgotten. He looked like a combination of Rocky Johnson and Sweet Daddy Siki. (It wasn't Johnson's brother, that I know)
For some reason I was chosen to interfere in a Lumberjack Match between Frankie Laine and Bull Johnson's son who was doing a heel cowboy gimmick. Later in a Battle Royal I was one of the last people to go out, but didn't factor into anything.
That same night Cannon presented workers with a contract that stated he would have to approve us working for other promoters. I never signed and neither did anyone else that I can remember. I think Greg Lake was there maybe he has some insight.
At that point I was training Al Snow and others, so I was looking for them to get work. I can't recall working Cobo many more times, but a Sunday night show in St. Catherines, Ontario, when I didn't get my money until 12:30 a.m. was it. I never worked for him again.
After that it was a marriage between Cannon and Graham Jr. that was just untasteful in so many ways and not many returned.
Blessings.
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Topics: 9
Replies: 146
Member
Post: #380590
PT: #4/5
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Hey Big Jim, what was the Curry group. Who made it up. I have often wondered about guys like El maskaras, Ape Man Andrews, Soulder Boy Bobby Golden, and Crazy Bill williams.
Where did they come from? Did Fred train them? Did they ever do much outside of Ohio? Any stories?
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