all star wrestling
peter karwowski
While waiting for a compile to finish at work, my mind wandered back
to a great old wrestling promotion from days gone by.
The TV show was called "ALL STAR WRESTLING" and it was based at BCTV
in Vancouver, B.C. and waas broadcast all accross Canada. If I remember
correctly, it was an NWA promotion. Right along side Frank Tunney's
wrestling promotion and CHCH's "Ringside" with Lord Athol Layton,
(Quick -- was was the theme for that show?) ASW was fun to watch.
Alongside of any other memories from that show, whatever happened to:
Gene Kiniski
Jim Gillespie -- The wrestling lawyer (Maybe that not the right name)
Bulldog Brown -- I saw him a couple of years ago on TSN
Jack Bence -- Never won but at least he tried hard
Tex Mackenzie -- Tall Lanky fellow from Texas
Tiger Jeet Singh -- A good technical wrestler
and of course
Ron Morrier (SP?) The host of the show. If he's still alive he must be
really getting on in years.
I especially enjoyed the sense of "community" that particular promotion
posessed. Can anyone remember the name of the lady who always came to
every taping and sat in the front row of the audiience at ringside?
Cheers,
Peter W. Karwowski INTERNET: peter.karwowski%canre...@lsuc.on.ca
Kitchener, Ontario USENET: peter.k...@canrem.uucp
Canada UUCP: canrem!peter.karwowski
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Sean P. Ryan, Hardcore Alaskan
>
>The TV show was called "ALL STAR WRESTLING" and it was based at BCTV
>in Vancouver, B.C. and waas broadcast all accross Canada.
Actually, I'm to understand that BCTV aired a number of different
wrestling shows over the years, such as this one, Stampede, George
Cannon's independent, etc. I believe that there is a fellow in Toronto
who has a massive video collection going back literally decades (and no,
I'm not talking about Herb Kunze, either :-), and most of his old
Candian tapes (and he has a lot of them, so I've been told) came from
BCTV broacasts.
>If I remember correctly, it was an NWA promotion.
Correct, promoted by Sandor Kovacs. When Kovacs retired/was bought out/
whatever, "Sgt." Al Tomko, one of Kovacs' prelim wrestlers, came in and
ran a low-budget independent, which actually did half-way decent
business for a number of years (that is, until Stampede started running
shows in Vancouver, then they did something like 100-200 a night).
>Alongside of any other memories from that show, whatever happened to:
>
>Gene Kiniski
Had his last match in 1986...I think he's been in real estate since
then.
>Bulldog Brown -- I saw him a couple of years ago on TSN
He was working for the Can Not Wrestle Association in Calgary and for
Emile Dupree in the Maritimes, until both promotions withered away in
recent years.
>Jack Bence -- Never won but at least he tried hard
Died around '88 or '89, I think.
>Tex Mackenzie -- Tall Lanky fellow from Texas
Gee, I always thought he was from Ontario. :-) Last I heard of him was
when he was doing color commentary with Jack Reynolds for the IWA
promotion in Cleveland around 1976 or so.
>Tiger Jeet Singh -- A good technical wrestler
Spent most of the 80's as a main event heel for All Japan Pro
Wrestling...now works for New Japan, where he was a mega-star in the
70's (actually defeated Antonio Inoki several times back then).
>Ron Morrier (SP?) The host of the show. If he's still alive he must be
>really getting on in years.
I saw a newspaper clipping from Vancouver once which was an interview
with Ed Karl, who was the host of Tomko's show. I think he said that he
took over the show in 1982 when the previous host died.
I take it that Morrier was a 60-ish guy with glasses. I'm just going
from memory of the tape I have of Roddy Piper smashing a beer bottle on
his forehead (circa 1979).
***************************************************************
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Internet: fs...@acad3.alaska.edu On IRC: RadioKAOS
Snail: P.O. Box 83381, Fairbanks, AK 99708-3381
"Are you the consultant here?"
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Gary Will
>In article <1992Feb20.839.9714@dosgate>, "peter karwowski" <peter.k...@canrem.uucp> writes...
>>
>>The TV show was called "ALL STAR WRESTLING" and it was based at BCTV
>>in Vancouver, B.C. and waas broadcast all accross Canada.
>
>Actually, I'm to understand that BCTV aired a number of different
>wrestling shows over the years, such as this one, Stampede, George
>Cannon's independent, etc.
This is the only one they produced, though. It was seen regularly
here in syndication at least as far back as 1969. Initially, they had
some pretty good wrestling with Dutch Savage, John Quinn, Bob Brown,
Gene Kiniski, Eric Froelich, really right through to Roddy Piper's
days in the area (although there were periods where it wasn't so hot).
It really went downhill fast in the 80s, with the entire promotion
eventually being the greenest bunch of wrestlers I've ever seen.
>Correct, promoted by Sandor Kovacs. When Kovacs retired/was bought out/
>whatever, "Sgt." Al Tomko, one of Kovacs' prelim wrestlers, came in and
>ran a low-budget independent
Tomko may have been a prelim wrestler for Kovacs at some point, but
I'm pretty sure when he took over he had been promoting for several
years in Winnipeg.
>>Gene Kiniski
>
>Had his last match in 1986...I think he's been in real estate since
>then.
He had a pretty good sized role in the Canadian low-budget film
"Terminal City Ricochet" which just had its last airing on the
movie channel here this week.
>>Bulldog Brown -- I saw him a couple of years ago on TSN
>
>He was working for the Can Not Wrestle Association in Calgary and for
>Emile Dupree in the Maritimes, until both promotions withered away in
>recent years.
He just reappeared in the town where he had his greatest success --
Kansas City -- along with a buch of Central States old-timers.
>>Tex Mackenzie -- Tall Lanky fellow from Texas
>
>Gee, I always thought he was from Ontario. :-)
I saw a program from a Texas card in 1958 where he is billed as
"Tex" McKenzie from Canada. He may be from BC, even though he
was wrestling in the OH-MI-Ontario circuit for years.
>>Ron Morrier (SP?)
>
>I saw a newspaper clipping from Vancouver once which was an interview
>with Ed Karl, who was the host of Tomko's show. I think he said that he
>took over the show in 1982 when the previous host died.
There was an interim host for a few weeks who must have been Morrier's
son or something -- he had the same voice, but was much younger.
Ron's interviews with Gene Kiniski were the highlight of the shows
during the 70s. Morrier would always say hello to the shut-ins
each week, Kiniski would always end his interviews with the line "and
as usual, Ron, you did a fine job."
--Gary Will
Steve Hooper
Do you recall Diamond Timothy Flowers, and Moondog Moretti? How about Michelle
(Mike) Starr etc etc?
Yep, I remember All-Star. In fact, I ran into Mike Starr the other day in
Surrey. He is now promoting as well as wrestling. In fact, if you watch
closely, you will see him and Buddy Wayne jobbing for Vince now and then. They
both jobbed on that recent Calgary taping.
I asked Mike what happend to the BCTV deal. Aparently they dumped it in 1989
due to lack of a viewing audience, but they ARE still wrestling. There was a
show last week at the Surrey High School, and I understand they wrestle every
Saturday night in Cloverdale.
--
steve_...@mindlink.bc.ca [] Riding the "High Iron" of
OR a7...@mindlink.bc.ca [] CP Rail
The Great White North in []
Vancouver, BC CANADA [] Opinions are mine, NOT CP's
Steve Hooper
>
>
> >Gene Kiniski
>
> Had his last match in 1986...I think he's been in real estate since
> then.
BTW, Gene is a co-owner of a pub in Point Roberts, USA. Not the famous
"Breakers", but the one across the street...forget the name. Vancouver BC
locals will know the name.
(Personally, I prefer to pass out in Breakers, but that's just me :) )
peter karwowski
FR>In article <1992Feb20.839.9714@dosgate>, "peter karwowski" <peter.k...@canrem.uucp> writes...
>
>The TV show was called "ALL STAR WRESTLING" and it was based at BCTV
>in Vancouver, B.C. and waas broadcast all accross Canada.
Then, in article <20FEB92200803#acad3.alaska.edu>,
fs...@acad3.alaska.edu (Sean P. Ryan, Hardcore Alaskan) wrote back:
FR>Actually, I'm to understand that BCTV aired a number of different
FR>wrestling shows over the years, such as this one, Stampede, George
FR>Cannon's independent, etc. I believe that there is a fellow in Toronto
FR>who has a massive video collection going back literally decades (and no,
FR>I'm not talking about Herb Kunze, either :-), and most of his old
FR>Candian tapes (and he has a lot of them, so I've been told) came from
FR>BCTV broacasts.
I would dearly love to lay my hands on some of this material. Do you
(or anyone else) have any pointers on who to contact?
FR>Correct, promoted by Sandor Kovacs. When Kovacs retired/was bought out/
Thanks. I couldn't for the life of me remember the name.
>Alongside of any other memories from that show, whatever happened to:
>
>Gene Kiniski
FR>Had his last match in 1986...I think he's been in real estate since
FR>then.
>Bulldog Brown -- I saw him a couple of years ago on TSN
FR>He was working for the Can Not Wrestle Association in Calgary and for
FR>Emile Dupree in the Maritimes, until both promotions withered away in
FR>recent years.
I remember his wrestling and "color commentary" on CNW when TSN carried
it in Canada. At least between him and Baron Von Raschke, it wasn't a
total waste of time. :)
>Jack Bence -- Never won but at least he tried hard
FR>Died around '88 or '89, I think.
>Tex Mackenzie -- Tall Lanky fellow from Texas
FR>Gee, I always thought he was from Ontario. :-) Last I heard of him was
FR>when he was doing color commentary with Jack Reynolds for the IWA
FR>promotion in Cleveland around 1976 or so.
Come to think of it, I really only remember the name, the physique, and
the ten gallon hat. He might have even had a drawl but now that I think
of it, I don't ever remember him being billed as hailing from Texas.
>Tiger Jeet Singh -- A good technical wrestler
FR>Spent most of the 80's as a main event heel for All Japan Pro
FR>Wrestling...now works for New Japan, where he was a mega-star in the
FR>70's (actually defeated Antonio Inoki several times back then).
Gee I somehow find it hard seeing him as a heel -- stranger things
have happened in the biz though.
>Ron Morrier (SP?) The host of the show. If he's still alive he must be
>really getting on in years.
FR>I saw a newspaper clipping from Vancouver once which was an interview
FR>with Ed Karl, who was the host of Tomko's show. I think he said that he
FR>took over the show in 1982 when the previous host died.
FR>I take it that Morrier was a 60-ish guy with glasses. I'm just going
FR>from memory of the tape I have of Roddy Piper smashing a beer bottle on
FR>his forehead (circa 1979).
That would be him. He sort of bore a resemblence to the guy on Monopoly
money -- except with grey hair. :)
Thanks,
Peter W. Karwowski USENET: peter.k...@canrem.com
Kitchener, Ontario INTERNET: peter.karwowski%canre...@lsuc.on.ca
Canada UUCP: canrem!peter.karwowski
* DeLuxe2 1.21 #1974 * Our comedies are not to be laughed at - S. Goldwyn
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Sean P. Ryan, Hardcore Alaskan
>In article <20FEB92200803#acad3.alaska.edu>,>FR>I believe that there is a fellow in Toronto who has a massive video
>FR>collection going back literally decades (and no I'm not talking about
>FR>Herb Kunze, either :-), and most of his old Candian tapes (and he has
>FR>a lot of them, so I've been told) came from BCTV broacasts.
>
>I would dearly love to lay my hands on some of this material. Do you
>(or anyone else) have any pointers on who to contact?
The fellow's name in Harold Balde. In amongst all of the stuff I have
sitting in storage is an ad of his containing his address. Problem is,
it's in storage, and the ad is old enough as to where I really couldn't
vouch for the validity of the address.
>>Tiger Jeet Singh -- A good technical wrestler
>
>FR>Spent most of the 80's as a main event heel for All Japan Pro
>FR>Wrestling...now works for New Japan, where he was a mega-star in the
>FR>70's (actually defeated Antonio Inoki several times back then).
>
>Gee I somehow find it hard seeing him as a heel -- stranger things
>have happened in the biz though.
Yeah, it was great...for years, he teamed up with Umanosuke Ueda, who
played a blonde-haired heel in Japan largely due to a lack of talent.
They would come out to "One Of These Days" by Pink Floyd, with Singh
waving a large dagger, and the fans would flee in terror, much like
seeing Moses part the Red Sea. One match with Singh & Ueda against Stan
Hansen & Bruiser Brody was hilarious, if only for the fan who
anticipated what would happen when these two teams got together, and
sat at ringside wearing a motorcycle helmet.
If Singh was a face in Canada, it was probably due to the fact that his
father, Daro Singh, was a popular attraction in Canadian rings a
generation or two ago.