From: cg@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (charles.gavinelli)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling
Subject: Weekend of Champions Part IV
Date: 4 Sep 92 19:27:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: cbfsb.1992Sep4.192755.10214
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T


	Once the lines for pictures and autographs started forming, we got
busier than a one-armed paper-hanger with a crotch itch. The line formed
at Bruno's table. It was here that people could buy pictures, books, plaques,
and ask to have their picture taken with Bruno and/or Larry. At times it was
difficult to keep everything under control, but Pete and I were doing OK.
After trying to handle the picture-taking as well as merchandise sales
(I was occupied holding pictures down on the table so Larry could sign them
with his one good arm), Pete requested an additional person to help us by
just snapping the polaroids of the humanoids. A very attractive and bright
young lady named Bonnie was sent to help us. The line for Bruno and Larry
stretched the length of the room for most of the morning.

	I figured that Larry was from the old school so I was not going
to ask him any "inside"/kayfabe type questions. He was wearing a sling.
Half the people who came to him asked the same questions "How did you
hurt your arm" ["A couple of wrestlers fell on it - I hurt my shoulder"]
and "does it feel better' ["yeah - it feels a little better"]. I had to hold
all the pictures he signed. He had not eaten and someone got him a
roast beef sandwich for breakfast. Each picture was the same - take a bite,
chew, get up, pose for the picture with a mouth full of food and try not
to gag, click, chew chew chew and sit. Larry lives in Atlanta. They have three
boys and are expecting a fourth child in February. It wasn't until afterwards
that I realized that he is married to Verne Gagne's daughter. I told him
that I had just become a father and I asked him how fatherhood has changed
his home life. His kids are not allowed to watch MTV. He had HBO taken out.
There is no WWF allowed in his house. Occasionally, he watches a match he 
was involved in if there is something he wants to see again. He said that
if he was a teenager, he could see why people would be excited to meet 
other wrestlers.

	One of the guys who came on line for an autograph was "Fred
the Elephant Boy" of the Howard Stern show. Fred has gained fame in
those cities that broadcast the Howard Stern radio show by working
bit parts that expose his speech impediment. He is a big Cactus Jack fan. 
He held up the line as he was asking Zbysko a question and Larry had
a hard time understanding him. I made him stay behind the table with me
for a bit because I wanted to ask him a favor later. Fred introduced me to
his brother Phil. He has the same speech problem that Fred has, and maybe worse.
He's the guy that the USWA is using in an angle where some heels are
claiming that he is the illegitimate son of Jerry Lawler (Pete wondered if this
gives him a celebrity status equal to that of Andy Kaufmann). I'd have to go
through some old Observers to get the full story. He had a mask with him.
He is supposedly coming into the USWA under a hood as a manager.
I'd love to see that.

	One of the other guys who had a table there is a guy by the
name of Boss Hog Calhoon. He was a big guy with overalls. He had taken
out a horse shoe and he put it on a chain to wear around his neck. He 
told Pete and I that this was his grand-daddy's horse shoe. It turns out
that Gramps is none other than Haystacks Calhoun. Pete told me later that he
didn't believe this, because Boss Hog had "Calhoon" written on his bib overalls,
whereas Haystack spelled it "Calhoun". When Boss Hog turned around, he had
"Pass" written on his left back pocket, and "Dead Meat" on the right side.
Despite Pete's comment, after a while I did notice
a resemblance in chins 3-8 between Boss Hog and Haystacks. The Hogster
said that he had to take Haystacks widow (his Grandmother) to court for custody
of the horse shoe - a rusted piece of twisted iron. I would have loved
to see Judge Wopner handle that one...

	Between Fred, his Brother and Boss Hog, I thought it was a
three ring circus...

	Albano and Sammartino had lunch together. Zbysko was on his own.
I then went over to the Bulletin Board System table that Mike had to
see the crew he brought in. He had Kerry Von Eric, Kevin Sullivan
and his wife Nancy Sullivan/Fallen Angel/Woman and the 44D whore "Electra".
He had also brought in Tony Rumble from ICW.  First of all, "Electra" must
have been on an off-cycle on her pectoral steroids because she was no 44D.
More on her on Sunday...

	I went over to Sullivan, ignoring Von Eric. Kerry has a reputation
of being, well, how can I say this...dumber than a rock. I gave Sullivan
a stick and asked him if he could sign "this foreign object". Kerry says
"ha, ha - that's funny. What does it say, 'Made in Japan' "? I looked at
the stick closely and said "No Kerry, it's made of wood. It says 'Made in
Canada' ". He says "Canada isn't foreign". That's so "Kerry". ("Kerry"
is one level of stupidity greater than "dumb" - we heard he stayed up all
night studying for his "steroid test").
	
	My cousin Chris came by. Since Arezzi was short handed, he put my
cousin to work as a photographer. My cousin wanted a picture with Volkoff.
I asked Nickoli "Niggoli, lemme dake a picture of you and my ugly Amerigan
cousin".

	Eddie Gilbert finally appeared. He had a scar on his forehead
from a match the night before. It looked like he tried to blade with a 
brick. He signed a foreign object and a picture.

	Lou Albano refused to take a picture with Kevin Sullivan because
he's "...afraid of that Satanic crap".

	I worked the PM with Bruno and Pete switched to Larry. I had little
time for conversation. All of the items that were for sale were on the Bruno
table so I was mostly a salesman that afternoon - I found out why Pete was so
busy in the morning.  When there was a (rare) quiet moment, each star was
given a stack of pictures to sign which Arezzi will be selling after the
convention. Bruno and Larry worked long and hard Saturday. 

	Liger came by late on Saturday. He posed for some pictures with
Bruno. The cameras were popping like crazy. I gave Pete my camera. As
soon as they were about to separate, I jumped in between. Pete took
a picture - but so did all of the other photographers. I could just
see that picture in a wresting magazine:

(L to R: Liger - IWGP Champ; Gavinelli - AT&T Geek; Sammartino 2 time WWWF Champ)



================================================================================
Next: Teenage kid abused by Mel Phillips apologizes to Bruno
      for ripping into him at the Donahue show

							Charlie