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Jim Lancaster Interview |
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When Jim Lancaster arrived on the shores of Florida in the summer of 1976, he was joining a talent-loaded CWF roster that included veterans such as Ray Stevens, The Missouri Mauler, Pak Song, and rising stars like Bob Backlund, Steve Keirn, and Rick Steamboat. The territory was being revitalized through the watchful eye of its booker, Jody (The Assassin) Hamilton, with red-hot angles and high quality in-ring wrestling. Though his main focus was on the money drawing main events, Hamilton didn’t neglect the undercard, as it was routinely filled out by top performers such as Don Serrano, George McCreary, Oki Shikina and in June of 1976, Big Jim Lancaster. Jim primarily wrestled in prelims during his stay in the Sunshine State, but had the opportunity to work with the best that CWF had to offer for several months. In a recently conducted interview, Jim reveals his thoughts on Hamilton’s booking style, what it was like working with Greg Valentine and Billy Robinson, plus recalls the time Ray Stevens was shot at in Orlando. |
When you showed up at the beginning of the summer in 1976 you had just
worked in the Mid-Atlantic territory. What brought you to CWF?
I was working for George Scott and Gene Anderson just doing jobs and working
underneath. They just didn’t keep guys like that around very long. Scott
told me they could use me in Florida and that he had talked with the guy who
was booking CWF at that time, Jody Hamilton, who was working as The Assassin.
He decided to bring me in.
How were your dealings with him?
Jody was one of the hardest working bookers I had ever been around. All our
dealings were cordial, but I was a minor player in that promotion so I didn’t
have much impact there. If I recall correctly, he was working with King Curtis
and Dusty Rhodes a lot at that time.
When you came to CWF did you know that you were coming in as a prelim
worker?
Yes, it was apparent. I never talked with Jody Hamilton, just info through George
Scott. Usually they gave you a prelim guy to draw or DQ with just to see if
you could work. Normally they didn’t want to beat you just in case you
worked out good for them. That first night job for Mike Graham pretty much dispelled
that logic. We were (prelim wrestlers) just a means to an end actually. The
top guys were friends with each other and they were drawing decent money, so
it was hard to crack the circle. If new guys were needed, one of them would
recommend a friend. Florida was a good place to go to learn your trade and go
elsewhere.
How many shots were you pulling every week? Did you do the full circuit
as well as TV?
I was working six days a week and TV. We usually got Sunday off. I was exhausted
on Sunday and my wife always had tourist site brochures of places she wanted
to visit. We went to Busch Gardens once.
How was the pay for guys working underneath in those days?
Opening guys were making around $400 a week. I never did make over $100 a show.
I didn’t spend much on motels, so that cut down on expenses. We had an
apartment for the short time we were there. If I would have know it would be
for such a short period of time, I would have sent my wife home and bunked with
another worker for a while. I wasn’t saving much money, but I didn’t
lose any either.
What cities did you most/least like on the circuit?
I can only base my preferences on geography. We drove from Tampa to the southern
coast, West Palm, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami Beach three times a week. I liked
Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville the best.
How were the fans in Florida? Was there a difference between, say Miami
and Ft. Myers? Did any of the smaller cities strike you as being dangerous at
times?
I never felt unsafe while there, but the larger cities seemed to have an attitude
of uncaring. I’m not sure what the atmosphere was then regarding locals,
tourists, retirees, etc. Florida was probably one of the most dangerous territories
since Ray Stevens got shot at twice. I think that had something to do with the
fact the wrestlers always seemed to like to party with the fans instead of keeping
their distance.
What was the story with Stevens being shot at?
The only thing I heard details of was after a night in Orlando. This was a story
I was told by Stevens to a dressing room full of guys, so I was not an eyewitness.
Jimmy Garvin was doing the Beau James gimmick with him at that time and a carload
of guys followed them onto the highway one night. The shot did not hit their
car, but Stevens got upset, pulled over and decided to confront them. Heard
he ended up putting a tire iron through the hood of their car as they drove
away. The second time was one of the southern towns like West Palm or Miami.
I just heard there was a gunshot and never got any details.
With guys like Ray Stevens, The Assassin, Missouri Mauler, Pak Song,
and others in the heel dressing room that must've been one interesting locker
room. Any stories stand out?
I remember one night in Tallahassee listening Missouri Mauler tell Ray Stevens
about horse liniment that he used to soothe his aches and pains. Stevens tried
some and said within second of rubbing that stuff into the skin he could taste
it in his mouth. It turned real hot and Stevens had to go out and sweat all
over somebody getting that stuff on them. It wasn’t a rib because Mauler
wiped some on too. Mauler always dressed in total black. I thought it was part
of his gimmick, but I guess it fit his personality. I knew he would sit in the
dressing room reading the KKK newsletter that he was on the mailing list for.
Had an interesting story with Pak Song in the Atlanta territory involving a
dentist, but that was a different territory that this.
Pak was always a favorite of mine so I’d love to hear the story.
After I left Florida, we ended up in Atlanta. I received a call from Tom Renesto,
who was the booker at the time, that Pak Song had to go to the dentist. He lived
near me and he spoke no English. Renesto asked me to give Pak a ride and to
serve as interpreter. It was the dentist’s day off and apparently he was
doing a favor for someone in the wrestling office. He had a lady assistant with
him. Pak had a badly infected tooth in the back of his mouth and was in intense
pain. We go in to the dentist’s office and Pak’s size gave the dentist
a scare. He literally shook because of his size and how much pain he was in.
Pak was so big he sat in the chair with his feet flat on the floor. The dentist
adjusted the headrest as high as he could, but Pak was unable to lie back the
way the dentist wanted him too. The doctor asked Pak what was hurting. Pak pointed
at his jaw and said “OUT!” The doctor looked at me and said he may
need my help, since Pak didn’t seem to understand what he was doing. The
dentist began to sweat, literally and the nurse turned pale. I went over to
Pak and kept saying, “Okay”. Using hand signs and single words I
was able to convince Pak that all was going to be OK. The dentist was afraid
to give him a shot of Novocaine unless I was helping hold Pak down. Again using
gestures and the words “Shot”, ”Ouch” and “Okay”,
Pak braced himself. When he got the first shot he bellowed, scaring everyone,
including me. The second shot didn’t include the yelling, but he jumped
a little. The dentist nearly fell on the floor. The dentist and the nurse left
the room saying they needed a minute for the painkiller to set in. I could see
them talking in the other room and they didn’t know what to do, if they
were unable to finish by the time the painkiller wore off. They said they were
unsure how much pain killer he needed because of his size. When they established
the fact the painkiller had worked, they literally stood over top of him extracting
the tooth. Pak got through it OK from that point, but I bet the dentist and
his lovely assistant were never the same. The dentist’s instructions to
me were that Pak not drink or eat nothing for four hours. Then only room temperature
water until the next morning. No pop, alcohol or dairy products until 24 hours
later. Pak understood while we were in the office. In the car, I went over the
instructions again and he nodded in agreement. He motioned for me to pull into
a convenience store near his motel. He came out taking a big drink from a gallon
of milk he just bought. I told him no, but he said “Home” and pointed
towards his motel. He worked that night with no problems. Later I found out
that Pak was extremely home sick for his wife and children and would speak by
telephone for hours every day back home to them in Korea. I think he left the
business after that run in Atlanta, but I may be wrong.
In CWF, you were reunited with Greg Valentine, a wrestler you had known from
the early days of both your careers in the Northeast. I know in his early days,
he had a rep for working very stiff. How was he in Florida?
Valentine always worked stiff and was an absolute terror when he teamed with
Don Fargo. Greg
was hurting guys all the time and thought it was funny. It seemed like he was
copying his dad’s routine. When we met up in Florida he seemed to have
grown up to the business. He was still stiff, but had a more professional attitude.
My first match in Tampa was against him. The best way to work with him and to
be as stiff as he was and hit just as hard. He seemed to respect that from the
guys.
You had a chance to work with Rick Steamboat in some of his very first
matches. What did you think of him and was there any indication that he'd turn
into one of wrestling's very best?
First of all, he was very talented and you could see that from the
start. I think bookers could see it and he was being fast tracked to the top.
Steamboat always worked a match with you and never treated you like an underneath
guy. I also worked with him in Georgia after I left Florida.
You worked with a wrestling’s “who's who” while in
Florida. Let me throw some names at you:
Billy Robinson
I worked with Robinson in Orlando. I had heard he was a big time shooter and
most guys were afraid of him. I was never one to try and prove myself in a baloney
business. If you freely give your body to someone and they intentionally hurt
you, what have they proven? Believe it or not, I led the entire match with Robinson,
who went over, of course. He wanted it that way, I think, to see if I would
shoot on him.
Mike Graham
I put Mike over in twenty seconds my very first night in the territory on a
Monday in West Palm Beach, I believe. I was done in twenty seconds. So much
for that big break. Their plans for me were obvious.
Ray Candy
It was another quick job match. He couldn’t work all that great but was
huge and they were looking for a black babyface. He was a nice guy.
Steve Keirn
Keirn was just starting and was a high school friend of Mike Graham’s.
He was stiff as a board to work with, but they liked young blond guys in Florida.
Bob Backlund
I enjoyed working with Bob. He was Keirn’s partner in tag title matches.
Bob always worked with you and never made you look bad. We stayed at the same
complex when we were both in Amarillo. Backlund was a good worker, but I got
no indication that he was headed to superstardom. He worked hard and seemed
to know he was going to make it in the business. He was cooperative every time
we worked and made the underneath guys look good.
Jos LeDuc
Jos was a nice guy, but he spent every dime he had as soon as he got it. My
wife and his were friends while we were on the road while living in Atlanta.
Strong guy, but he always worked with you.
Fatback Brown (Bearcat Brown)
I had worked with Brown in Tennessee years before. He was a good worker, but
getting past his prime here. I think Ray Candy was a future replacement for
this guy, who they seemed not to respect. I was DQed against him in Tampa.
Igor Bonnett
This guy was different. For some reason, he felt he should have been a top star
there and made life difficult for people. It was in Florida or Carolinas they
put me over him because of his attitude.
Don Serrano
I First worked with Don Serrano on Cleveland, Ohio, TV back in 1972-73. Kind
of on the small side, but a great worker.
George McCreary
A nice guy, but never had the look of a wrestler. The first time I worked with
him I thought he was the janitor of the building. So much for my talent, they
put him over.
Did you ever run into your trainer, Lou Klein, who had retired down to Florida?
Never did. I had lost contact with him by that time.
Sir Winston was also working CWF the same time that you were here. Didn't you
two know each other from your days back in the Northeast?
His name is Richard LaFromboise from outside of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. His
dad was the mayor of a small town along Lake Erie. We trained together at Klein’s
Gym. He married and was living in Florida a long time ago.
One guy who I think you just missed when you came into Florida was Ali Pasha,
who had worked out of Detroit the same time as you did as The Magnificent Zulu.
I understand that you were there the night he knocked out Frankie Laine. What
happened?
I hear Zulu aka Ron Pope is driving a cab in San Francisco now, but don’t
know for sure. I was not there when the incident happened, but did get the story
from a guy who was. Bobby Blaine of Klein’s Gym was part of group of guys
who were heading to Akron, Ohio, for a show for Sheik. They were to meet in
Toledo and ride together. It was Blaine, Zulu, Laine and Bull Curry. For whatever
reason, Laine and Zulu had a falling out, according to Blaine. Laine drove by
himself and Zulu drove Curry and Blaine to Akron. Blaine said the entire trip
that Curry kept telling Zulu that he would never let a man talk to him like
that, that Zulu was a coward and that racism was involved. Blaine said Curry
instigated the whole thing. Blaine did not witness the attack, but supposedly
Zulu hit Laine with a pipe while he was behind a curtain watching the matches
from a stage. Zulu then “left the building” leaving Blaine and Curry
behind. Laine was hospitalized for a long time over that.
Where did you go after you left CWF?
I finished the territory on Friday night in Tallahassee, I think. Jody said
he talked with Tom Renesto in Atlanta and they needed guys for WTBS TV tapings
the next morning and asked if I could work there. A payday on the way home was
OK. I was considering quitting the business anyway. I got to the TV station
and Bill Costello, a Mexican guy from Nashville, and I were to work with Dean
Ho and Ken Mantell. They were either champions or about to be. For whatever
reason, they decided to work with us on TV like it was a main event. The entire
studio audience was standing when the finish came. Mantell gave a Russian Leg
sweep to Costello. I got back to the dressing room and Renesto asked me what
territory I was headed to. I told him I had given my notice in Florida and was
going back home to Ohio. Renesto asked me to stay and work the territory. I
went home for a week and returned getting some draws and got put over the first
week, but eventually assumed the position.
What were the differences, booking and philosophy wise, between the two Assassins,
Jody Hamilton and Tom Renesto?
Jody seemed to be in that realm of using his buddies to work main events. There
seemed to be a separation between the upper circle of workers and the underneath
guys. By that I mean, it was the top stars and everybody else. The next top
star would be from another territory and friends with whoever was there now.
I can’t complain, you knew that going in and they were doing OK business.
Renesto took a more quiet approach to booking. He didn’t really speak
to you that often and it seemed that all the top matches were worked out in
the office. After I was there, I didn’t get to work Atlanta very often,
which was the top payoff in the territory. I asked for a meeting with Jim Barnett
and I got it. I said if I was good enough to get up at 7:30 a.m. every Saturday
to work TV matches at WTBS, then I should be good enough to work the house show.
Renesto was called in and Barnett didn’t take sides. I worked the next
couple of Atlanta shows, and things pretty much stayed the same. That was the
only time I met and talked with Jim Barnett. Renesto would later call me to
work for him when I was back in Ohio. He was booking for Sheik towards the end
of Farhat’s run in Detroit. I got to put over Haystacks Calhoun at Cobo.
I was hoping to get a DQ and maybe try some type of push there, but it never
happened. I started my own promotion a few years later with Al Snow being one
of my first students. Gene and Ole Anderson gave me my notice in Atlanta when
they were brought in as bookers. They called a big meeting with all the boys
announcing the Andersons were now the bookers. At the end of the meeting, they
asked me, Tony Parisi and Pork Chop Cash to stay. We all knew what that was
about. I was called in first and given my notice. They said they would help
me get booked somewhere else. I said I wanted to go to Los Angeles, for two
reasons. I had never been to California and I knew they weren’t going
to get me booked anywhere, just the bum’s rush. I always thought I was
the first person fired by Ole Anderson (his first booking position), but I saw
him many years later at a NWA show in Saginaw, Michigan, when I was working
for them there. He said that Tony Parisi was actually the first. Two nights
later Ole and Tony had an argument and Parisi didn’t stay the two weeks.
Not sure what happened to Cash after that.
Do you regret never making another trip to CWF? Seems like you spent so much
of your career in the cold weather.
I never really thought about going back. After Florida and Atlanta, my wife
and I settled down in Ohio. I could see the handwriting on the wall that a life-long
venture into wrestling was not in the cards. Owning a home, children, ring injuries,
security, etc., were things my wife kept talking about. Go figure!
© Copyright 2004-2006, Barry Rose,