Evening star., 1963-04-25

Pro WrestIinq:
Blood on Cue
By MORRIS SIEGEL

A BooKMAKER, INvoLUNTARLY retired from his
profession because of chronic inability to with the
Justice Departments ground rules on gambling offered
the following poignant reflection his shattered career
PRO wrestling" he conded, "is the only honest sport
Nobody bets it, This of course was before Alex Kar-
reenry into the land of raucou make believe where
the performers bleed
Karras, diSenfranchised from the National Football
League for at least year. pretty much novice in the
pro raSSling ranks but already he is performing like
seasoned trouper.
To show he is no ordinary beginner he and another
fabricated assassin with the omnous name of Dick the
Bruser roughhoused it around in Detroit gym where the
odor of vodka gin and beer regarded more aromatic
than oil Of wntergreen.
THE MASSIVE CONFORMATION eventually embraced
several cops Not realizing that Karras and the Bruser
merely staging dress rehearsal for Karras 1868
debut rasSler against the Bruser Saturday evening"
the gendarmeS proceeded to arrest people and prefer
charges.
Naturally this got into newspapers, but not to the
chagrin of the promoter who would have been chagned
indeed If the sham had not been pubczed
1t provoked Just what the promoter had in mind
publicity Now he hardly wait until Saturday for the
Bruiser and KarraS to perform before full house OF De-
troter whose reputation for gulibiy was interrupted
by only the failure of the Edsel
The heralded arrangement between Karras and the
BruiSer got help from unexpected yesterday
The chairman of the Michigan Boxing Commission
naive sort named Dave Gudesky shocked by the
staged violence that he he might suspend Karras
from pro wrestling
IF THIS HAPPENS the Lions tackle now tied with
Paul Hornung automatically will Jump into undsputed
possession of the title of being barred from sports at
the same time then anybody else.
However, it is not likely to happen Being barred or
even suspended from pro wrestling is impossible as
expulsion from the old French Foreign Legion or Devils
Island.
RaSSlers are a wonderful lot whose fakery is honest
and sincere although there many the audience who
still tough to convince that the boys are Just playing
One Of rasslings most formidable exhibits Antonino
Rocca best answered the charge about wresngs integrity
s wrestling 80 cent fxed?" the redoubtabe Rocca
was asked
81 should say not" Rocca replied, avoiding a Fifth
Amendment plea only because of the face-savng way
the question was phrased
RASsLERS THRIVE ON any kind of publicity "Knock
u.s. but don't avoid u.s. is their creed Our own Vince Nc
Mahon, unchallenged chief mogu Of the grunt-and-
groan world, parlayed creaky arena, two mdgetS TV
program and occasional appearance by Haysacks Cal
houn into annual siX-figure income.
classic example Of wrestlings penchant for accepting
anything retod recently by Toots Mondt wrestler
and horseplayer Of note. Toos doing his best TO
make a buck out of the old Greco-Roman sport in New
York Dan Parker then a young firebrand columnst
closely following the goings-on.
Each Monday morning Parker would print the results
OF the matches to be staged that evening He
wrong Eventually this became bit exaSperatng and the
Mondt clan called an emergency meeting to take appro-
pirate action.
Somebody's been sneaking Parker the results"
outraged cabinet member protested Let's double-croSs
him. Let's up the script and have winners lose and
the losers win tonight"
Mondt who had TO make the critical decision, thought
about 1t for few minutes Nope Toots decided. "If
doubecross Parker he'll never give us any publicity again.