Sgt. Slaughter remembers his friend, Lord Alfred Hayes
mrboo
passed away at the age of 76. But to many within WWE, the passing of
"His Lordship" meant so much more than loss of a television
personality. Those who knew Alfred feel as though they have lost a
friend and family member.
WWE.com recently spoke with one of Lord Alfred Hayes' closest
friends, Sgt. Slaughter, about his life and times:
WWE.com: Walk us through the past couple of days for you?
Sgt. Slaughter: I received a call Wednesday telling me that Alfred was
being moved to another facility because he had taken a turn for the
worse. Then Thursday morning, I got another call saying that Alfred had
passed away late last night in his sleep.
WWE.com: What did Alfred Hayes mean to you as a friend?
Sgt. Slaughter: Alfred meant everything to me as a friend because he
was everything you wanted in a friend. I loved him very much and he
will always have a very special place in my heart, my mind and my soul.
He was a wonderful father and grandfather that loved and adored his
children and grandchildren. Over the years, I watched how wonderful he
was to his family, friends, fans and just people in general. I like to
think that some of that rubbed off on me.
He was the perfect Englishman. He spoke Queen's English and never
spoke a bad word in his life. Sometimes we would be golfing and he
would miss a short putt. Rather than swearing, which he never did, he
would pick up the ball and say 'you're a beast. You're supposed
to go into the hole.' He was a very proud man that never asked for
anything. I know that Alfred fought courageously to the end, denying
any help, so that when he left this world, he'd have his head held
high when he entered his new world. He was just that kind of a guy,
very gracious and noble.
WWE.com: What do you think Alfred Hayes meant to the business of
professional wrestling?
Sgt. Slaughter: Alfred was one of the pioneers of wrestling that pushed
us into the entertainment part of the business. Alfred was so far
advanced. While he was working at the WWE TV studio, he was always
helping the producers edit the shows. He'd edit for hours and hours.
He showed the people at the studio how to add the entertainment value.
And it made the wrestlers feel proud to have Alfred spend so much time
on their matches. I'm sure the people that are still at the studio
that worked with Alfred thank him everyday for teaching them that part
of the business.
WWE.com: Many of the people that Alfred worked with in WWE feel like
they lost a member of their family. Do you feel the same way?
Sgt. Slaughter: Absolutely. It's one of those things where you lose
somebody very precious and dear to you. But you're happy in a way, as
well, because Alfred suffered so much. Unfortunately, I saw him suffer
close up for many years with his arthritis. We lived together for about
two years in Stamford, CT. He was in terrible pain for all the years
that I knew him. It was torture having to watch him get up in the
morning. He was in so much pain that he couldn't even get up and go
from his bedroom to his bathroom. Sometimes, I would have to leave -
I would go get a coffee or something.
So I was very saddened when I got the news, but there was a smile on my
heart because I knew that he was no longer in pain. Alfred was with me
when I went through the same thing with my mother. She was battling
cancer, and Alfred told me that she would eventually be relieved of all
her pain. He then told me that I would smile again, and I did. The same
thing happened with Alfred. I'm just really happy that he is no
longer suffering, even though I am going to miss him greatly.
WWE.com: If you had one thing you could say to Alfred, what would it
be?
Sgt. Slaughter: I was truly blessed when our paths crossed on that cold
and stormy night in Winnipeg, Canada, 27 years ago. I thank God
everyday for allowing me to have the gift of sharing time with you. You
were truly a great and wonderful friend. You may have left us, Alfred,
but I have a smile on my heart knowing that you no longer have to
suffer. Thanks for everything, my friend, God bless you.
Further information
http://www.vivekwwe.com/wwenews/index.php?news=1080&act=previous