Episode 7 - The Connecticut of Kentucky

### Episode Etymology

The comparison Beau James used to compare the civility of Barberville, KY to the haphazard and roughness of Harlan, KY with the Tri-States area of the United States where Brian and Bix live.

## Timestamps

**0:08:21 - Discussions on Paul Boesch and Houston Wrestling**

**0:21:45 - This Date in Wrestling History (from 35 years ago)**

**0:31:29 - Jerry Jarrett's version of The "Dandy" Jack Donovan story from last episode**

***TGBL***: (Jerry Jarrett) "I advised Len to stay out of it and let Tojo and Jack settle their problem. Len said something to the effect that Jack was his buddy and he would get involved if a fight started. I laughed at Rossi, because he was never known as a fighter and I knew Tojo and Fargo were riding together to the tv station, and Fargo did not like Rossi to begin with. When Tojo arrived, he walked over to the McGuire Twins and spoke to them. Next Tojo walked into a dressing area and closed the door. The McGuire Twins sat with their backs to the door. I was on the set making an interview with Nick Gulas. We could hear the fight and Nick ask, "what the hell is going on?"

- *Jerry Jarrett's side of the incident from Wrestling Classics in 2002.*

**0:45:14 - Beau James on Mario Galento audio discussion, East Tennessee rumors involving the Cazana brothers with Knoxville , and Ron Wright fighting the KKK**

***Beau*:**
Well, people that listen – I don’t know how many go back in far in history as
Jim White – who was Jerry Lawler’s first partner – Jim was from here in East
Tennessee; he lived in East Kentucky until his death  - probably the last 10-15 years of his life,
but, I dealt with Jim quite a bit over the last – probably from, say, 94-95
until he passed, and he ran some shows in Kentucky and used us on ‘em and I was
around him, but he would always talk about this incident with Mario Galento
because he said it was the closest that he’d ever came to killing somebody, and,
you know, that’s pretty hardcore (laughs). Talkin’ about that – he told me that
was the first time I heard the story about Galento hitting the ring on TV, and
they all jumped on him and beat him half to death. Jim always said they knew he
was comin’ that day. They’d been told “he’s comin’

***TGBL***: The first time or the second time?

***Beau***: The first time on Memphis TV. I think, from the way Jim always implied it,
that Roy was the one who talked to Galento – Roy Welch – but it actually was a
setup and it was a double-crossed where they talked Galento into coming to jump
into the ring. That way they could legally get him and beat him up, you know,
and try to hurt him. The one thing that makes me believe that that’s true – why
would Jim White stand at ring-side with a billy club? And he threw it in to
Lawler, who then whacked Galento in the head with it and then they used it on
him.

- *Beau on the Machiavellian intricacies regarding the stories behind Mario Galento's failed attempts to collect a bounty on Jerry Lawler and Jerry Jarrett.*

***Beau***: Whitey
was very close to John and George Cazana – he made a good living working for
them two days a week just on that end. He made more money there than he did
working his day job; Ron Wright too, and they worked at a job with benefits for
children. But when Whitey was killed, they never had the opportunity to mourn.
He was killed on Saturday – towns had to run Tuesday-through Saturday the next
week. They didn’t have that opportunity; they couldn’t take time off – Ron and
Don had to keep running. At the time, they had the rights and Whitey owned the
Kingsport territory. They had to make sure the mail ran, Cazana had to make
sure Knoxville ran. It was a big hole left – not just in being the biggest star
of the territory – he was a guy that all the boys loved and respected, and now
you have to go to buildings to where he used to sit and he’s not there anymore.
It was just heartbreaking for him, and Cazana was an older guy – he ran and
came to Knoxville in ’33, so he’d already been there 40 years. He was getting
older and he just felt it was time to get out.

- *Detailing the issues and rumors with operations in Knoxville along with the Cazana brothers selling to the Fuller/Welch clan after Whitey Caldwell's death.*

***Beau***: He
said that the first time he’d ever talked to Ron, he wanted to get into the
wrestling business. Ron said “What are you doing today, boy?” He says “Nothing”
and Ron says “You’re gonna drive me to Harlan, KY” which was a two lane road
most of it and still is from here. So about 20 miles outside of Harlan, he
looks at Tony and says “You know how to fight?” he says “Well I just got home
from Vietnam…” and he says “I mean with your fists and with your feet” and he
says “Yeah” and Ron says “Well, good, because we’re gonna have to fight our way
in here and out of here”. So they pull up to the armory, and he literally
watched Ron Wright fight his way to the dressing room, then when he went to the
ring he had to fight, and when the match was over they had to fight to get out
of there – that’s how bad Harlan, Kentucky was. People think that’s old times- I
wrestled in Harlan a few times in the 90's and the 2000’s – I’ve never
wrestled in Harlan where a fight has not broke out in the crowd. They call it
“Bloody Harlan” for a reason – there’s blood on the streets every Saturday
night.

- *Tony Peters' story about Ron Wright enlisting his help to get in - and out - of Harlan, KY.*

**1:30:11 - Dennis Of The Week (with guest Tom Robinson)**

***Tom***: ...We
jump on the plane with these bullshit-ass tickets, and as soon as we walk on,
he sits down and he grabs me as I’m continuing to walk to my seat; he says “Sit
the fuck down, asshole.” And I’m like "uhhh ok." He sits in first class (laughs)
and he goes “Hey hun” and I’m under age – clearly, I’ve got pimples growing
like fresh fruit for christ’s sake. It was so obvious I’m not 21 and he goes
“Can you get him a Jack and Coke and I’ll have an iced tea?” and she’s like "sure!" and
all of a sudden we have drinks and food in front of us. We flew – I think it
was 3 or 4 different flights to get there – but we flew first class and got
busted on the 3rd one. I had such anxiety – I didn’t like to fly as
it was – and he’s like “just sit down. Drink that shit, you’ll feel better.”
And after he’d get over – he’s like a school kid. He had such school kid energy
and such a funny smile, and then he’d have that signature high-five. Every time
this flight attendant would give me another drink, he’d wait until she was like
in the clear and give me that signature high five, and he’s like “Fuckin’ A,
Pissy, first class. We’re like fucking Ric Flair, man.”

- *Tom detailing Dennis' scheme to fly cheap and get free first class seats to visit Jim Cornette's first major show with Smoky Mountain Wrestling - Volunteer Slam 1992.*

***Tom***:
My first girlfriend was Angel Amaroso who was in ECW as Angel, and, yeah – I
was 17 and turns out she was younger than me, but she told me she was older and
she had Triple F breasts, but what was I to think, you know? So I was with her
and needless to say, she kinda got into digging wrestlers a bit more than
digging wrestler stooges, and she would kinda disappear sometimes if I was at a
show and running an errand, Dennis would say “Go pick up Terry Funk at the
airport” or something and I’d come back and I’d be looking for my girlfriend
(laughs) – “Hey Dennis – you seen Angel around?” “Last time I’d seen her, she
was under the bleachers blowing Ox Baker.” Of course, Ox Baker was no-where on
the show, but, just out of his, you know. Just out of the blue coming up with
that – he could cut you up and not offend you...

- *Tom on Dennis' sardonic wit.*