Blood & Fire

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

Just discovered that book watching a youtube video.

Apparently it;s about the original Sheik and way back rasslin' in general.. Anyone here read it, if so.....good read or it sucked?

Will be ordering if I read nothing or.......good read.

Speaking about that old stuff, how about.....

1.Lou Thesz
2.Bruno Sammartino
3."Nature Boy"Buddy Rogers
4.Verne Gagne
5.Killer Kowalski
6.Fred Blassie
7.Edouard Carpentier
8.Antonio Rocca
9.The Sheik
10.Gene Kniski
11.Dick the Brusier
12.Ray Stevens
13.Fritz Von Erich
14.Johnny Valentine
15.Pat O' Conner
16.Crusher Lisowski
17.Wilbur Snyder
18.Don Leo Jonathan
19.Bulldog Brower
20.Cowboy Bob Ellis

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

https://ringthedamnbell.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/image-57.png

.

I'm sure we all have a similar story.

It was Wenesday night time for BIG TIME WRESTLING from Fresno, The match was George Drake vs Sir Alan Garfield, it was a scientific bout, went to a draw and a big round of applause So the next day we go up to Modesto to visit some relatives, Donnie my cousin was like me a big rasslin' fan. We were going to be there until Sunday, so here comes BIG TIME WRESTLING from Sacramento. the match.....George Drake vs Sir Alan Garfield, yep, hold for hold goes to a draw and ...........

I didn't tell my cousin didn't want to spoil it for him, but now I knew.

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

So down the page ......Books on Wrestling.......guess what was mentioned?

Wife is ordering it as I type this, life is good.

Like all of us nobody cares about it being real, it just doesn't matter not unlike a book or a movie. and once you know who is who and the history it;s actually pretty great.

 

[Pittie Petey]

Its a really good book, does a great job taking you back to the early days of the rasslin business and the territories, very interesting read

 

[Pittie Petey]

https://ringthedamnbell.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/image-57.png

.

I'm sure we all have a similar story.

It was Wenesday night time for BIG TIME WRESTLING from Fresno, The match was George Drake vs Sir Alan Garfield, it was a scientific bout, went to a draw and a big round of applause So the next day we go up to Modesto to visit some relatives, Donnie my cousin was like me a big rasslin' fan. We were going to be there until Sunday, so here comes BIG TIME WRESTLING from Sacramento. the match.....George Drake vs Sir Alan Garfield, yep, hold for hold goes to a draw and ...........

I didn't tell my cousin didn't want to spoil it for him, but now I knew.

If you grew up watching Big Time Wrestling/The Roy Shire San Francisco territory then you may be interested in When It Was Big Time by Rock Rims, which is the complete history of pro wrestling in Northern California

And also More Than A Thousand Words by Larry Barnhizer which is an amazing collection of photographs taken from different rasslin shows in the Bay Area and Central Valley, most of the pictures are from Modesto's Uptown Arena

I love that arena cause it had those wooden beams that looked like they were setting right on the top rope

 

[Pittie Petey]

What years did you watch Big Time Wrestling?

Im from the Bay Area but Im born in '76 so I never got to experience that amazing territory live, only through the stories of others

 

[Strychnine]

Don't forget Karl Gotch.

Whenever I visit my buddy over in Oregon, we'll bust out Super Fire Pro Wrestling. I'll pick Stan Hansen or Vader and he'll pick Bruiser Brody. We'll always go against Lou Thesz and Karl Gotch in a tag-team match at the highest CPU level.

One day... Just one day... We're going to win.

But it hasn't happened yet.

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

Its a really good book, does a great job taking you back to the early days of the rasslin business and the territories, very interesting read

It was your mention of the book that sold me, so thank you.

Very anxious to start reading.

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

If you grew up watching Big Time Wrestling/The Roy Shire San Francisco territory then you may be interested in When It Was Big Time by Rock Rims, which is the complete history of pro wrestling in Northern California

And also More Than A Thousand Words by Larry Barnhizer which is an amazing collection of photographs taken from different rasslin shows in the Bay Area and Central Valley, most of the pictures are from Modesto's Uptown Arena

I love that arena cause it had those wooden beams that looked like they were setting right on the top rope

View attachment 1086706

I grew up watching Wrestling From the Olympic Auditorium......this w from SOCAL and Fred Blassie Mr.Moto, Baron Leoni, Count Billy Varga, Wild Red Berry......here we had actual cards and some big matchs.

BIG TIME WRESTLING from Fresno was a TV taping, maybe 59 people in stands, never saw big matchs, here was Ray Stevens , Ray Thunder Stern, Pepper Gomez, Kenji Shibuya, Wilbur Snyder.

Would guess early 60;s saw me watching both shows, watched with my grandma who loved it. She died never knowing the truth which is how I wanted it.

Saw my first live card in a Modesto ball park. Still remember the card.

Don Manoukian vs Bill Melby
The Alasken vs Luis Martinese
Pepper Gome vs Karl Von Brock

Main Event
Wilbur Snyder vs Mitzu Arwakawa.....second only to Stevens as the main heel in the territory.

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

If you grew up watching Big Time Wrestling/The Roy Shire San Francisco territory then you may be interested in When It Was Big Time by Rock Rims, which is the complete history of pro wrestling in Northern California

And also More Than A Thousand Words by Larry Barnhizer which is an amazing collection of photographs taken from different rasslin shows in the Bay Area and Central Valley, most of the pictures are from Modesto's Uptown Arena

I love that arena cause it had those wooden beams that looked like they were setting right on the top rope

View attachment 1086706

Thanks for the heads up, will be checking into that.

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

Don't forget Karl Gotch.

Whenever I visit my buddy over in Oregon, we'll bust out Super Fire Pro Wrestling. I'll pick Stan Hansen or Vader and he'll pick Bruiser Brody. We'll always go against Lou Thesz and Karl Gotch in a tag-team match at the highest CPU level.

One day... Just one day... We're going to win.

But it hasn't happened yet.

Never saw Gotch he was one of those I knew because of the magazines.

My cousin Donnie and myself would take some index cards, make some little squares, put all the wrestlers names in those squars cut them out and put them in a can, talking 500 names at least.

So,,,,,picking out.....Crazy Luke Graham vs Pat O' Conner etc etc, we;d have cards his vs mine.

Tagteam matchs.

Now over 1000 names, yep,,,,,still play that.

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

17 bucks will arrive Tuesday.

I have THE HEELS. a good read about all the bad guys in the biz talking the history.

BUT............no Dick the Brusier and Crusher Lisowski, that's like a book on the history of Rock & Roll wit no menton of Jerry Lee Lewis and Bo Diddley,

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

Guess what I am holding in my hands. yep......Blood And Fire.

Tonight chapter one........Headed to the money

So with 18 chapters and a forward by Rob Van Dam (hmmmm, he came much later so....?) three weeks seems about right

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

In them blues it;s pre Muddy Waters and post Muddy Waters, in pro rasslin' I go with pre Hulk Hogan and post Hulk Hogan.

While it's pretty easy to know it all post Waters, post Hogan, it will take some time/research to come up to speed on that.....pre.

I can already see the $$$$ well spent on Blood and Fire a good investment, I will be more knowledgeable about the rasslin' biz after the read, On the back cover it reads.....22.95....so got a deal.

Will never figure out how you can have a book about the great HEELS with no Dick the Brusier, in his younger days he looked like the classic bad guy,

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

What are the odds?

As I mentioned started reading the book last night,, it was around 10ish.

wife,,,,,good book?
me.....sure, already learning things I didn't know
wife.....this Sheik was he good?
me.....one of the best bad guys, started out as The Sheik of Araby.

I have never said The Sheik of Araby before.

So I read the forward read the intro and the first three chapters. put it down fix some coffee and turn on the TV to......youtube,

WHAT???....... a long haired pre Crusher.....Reggie Lisowslki teaming up withThe Sheik of Araby vs Rudy Kaye and Sky Hi Lee,

What are the odds?

 

[Pittie Petey]

I grew up watching Wrestling From the Olympic Auditorium......this w from SOCAL and Fred Blassie Mr.Moto, Baron Leoni, Count Billy Varga, Wild Red Berry......here we had actual cards and some big matchs.

BIG TIME WRESTLING from Fresno was a TV taping, maybe 59 people in stands, never saw big matchs, here was Ray Stevens , Ray Thunder Stern, Pepper Gomez, Kenji Shibuya, Wilbur Snyder.

Would guess early 60;s saw me watching both shows, watched with my grandma who loved it. She died never knowing the truth which is how I wanted it.

Saw my first live card in a Modesto ball park. Still remember the card.

Don Manoukian vs Bill Melby
The Alasken vs Luis Martinese
Pepper Gome vs Karl Von Brock

Main Event
Wilbur Snyder vs Mitzu Arwakawa.....second only to Stevens as the main heel in the territory.

So you lived in the Central Valley but you were getting the Olympic Auditorium Los Angeles territory television, interesting
I guess that was part of the overlapping signals because Fresno and Modesto were definitely part of the San Francisco operation

By the way, the author of the When It Was Big Time book about Northern California rasslin, my homie Rock Rims, also put out a great book about Los Angeles rasslin history called Legends & Icons, both very highly recommended by yours truly

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

So you lived in the Central Valley but you were getting the Olympic Auditorium Los Angeles territory television, interesting
I guess that was part of the overlapping signals because Fresno and Modesto were definitely part of the San Francisco operation

By the way, the author of the When It Was Big Time book about Northern California rasslin, my homie Rock Rims, also put out a great book about Los Angeles rasslin history called Legends & Icons, both very highly recommended by yours truly

.
Grew up in Visalia, north of Bakersfield and south of Fresno. Yep, every Saturdsy morning (taped) Pro Wrestking From The Olympic. As ya know Blassie was da man there in the early 60's, Stevens the NORCAL King. Don't think they ever wrestled, could be wrong.

BIG TIME WESTLING was live on Wednesday nights. Unlike the Olympic it was always a nobody getting mugged by a star talking up the next card. Saw some great stuff from the Olympic.

After I finish Blood and Fire, next up....Legeds & Icons............thanks my friend.

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

Don't forget Karl Gotch.

Whenever I visit my buddy over in Oregon, we'll bust out Super Fire Pro Wrestling. I'll pick Stan Hansen or Vader and he'll pick Bruiser Brody. We'll always go against Lou Thesz and Karl Gotch in a tag-team match at the highest CPU level.

One day... Just one day... We're going to win.

But it hasn't happened yet.

 

[Sir Elzio Dennick]

Never saw Gotch in action, did know about him from the mags however.

Thanks to youtube just now seeing a lot of these guys I only knew about because of the mags.

Guys like.....Ox Baker, Killer Karl Kox, Antonio Rocca, Buddy Rogers, Killer Khan, Pat O' Conner others

Love the rasslin' games, just like you.

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

Never saw Gotch in action, did know about him from the mags however.

Thanks to youtube just now seeing a lot of these guys I only knew about because of the mags.

Guys like.....Ox Baker, Killer Karl Kox, Antonio Rocca, Buddy Rogers, Killer Khan, Pat O' Conner others

Love the rasslin' games, just like you.

Nothing beats The GOAT