BOOK DETAILS

Paperback: 302 pages

Dimensions: 6x9

Publisher: Crowbar Press

Photos: 278 b&w

Cover: Full color

ISBN: 0-9745545-3-7

Item #: cbp03-jh

Price: $19.95

Foreword

1  Bonnie and Clyde
Family history … Bonnie Parker gets her hair fixed … Sent to the St. Joseph, Missouri, juvenile home … Brother Edward, the ass

2  Larry Hamilton
(Jody’s brother, Larry) … Enlisting in the Army … Battle of the Chosin Reservoir … Golden Gloves boxing … Fighting in the carnivals … Sailor Moran, the Athletic Show wrestler … Early television wrestling on KTTV from the Hollywood Legion Stadium in Los Angeles … St. Joseph, Missouri, and Jesse James … Mentoring Jody … Jody legally changes his last name to Hamilton … The first and most important lesson in wrestling

3  Benton High School
Terrorizing the Benton High School hallways … Playing football, baseball, basketball, and track … Working out at the YMCA with Leo Houseman

4  The "L"
Training for boxing with Grandpa Blevins … Getting into shape … Big John Lucas, three black fighters, and Whitey … Golden Gloves tournament finals … Semi-pro fights … Chastised by big brother … Noticed by wrestling promoter Gust Karras

5  The Carny
Wrestling on the carnival circuit … Overview of life on the carny … Pro wrestling at the St. Joseph City Auditorium … Avoiding the con men … Fighter Bill Allen … Gust Karras dies

6  Mr. Satuh-day Hero
Invitation from Verne Gagne … The dumb jock … Working in the corn fields … The corn spider … The second worst job in the world … Is teacher senile or just a bitch? … A man’s body and a child’s brain … Run-in with the law … Leaving for the big city of New York

7  Belle of the Ball
Traveling the wrestling circuit with Johnny Weaver … Jody loses his cherry … Debut wrestling match against Rip Hawk … Learning to dropkick … The problems with working with Scott Teal … The "second" first match of his career … Wrestling at the Maryland State Penitentiary … Back to St. Joe … The Hamilton Brothers vs the Omaha Wrecking Crew

8  Spider Bite
Athleticism in the family … Working stiff with Jack O’Reilly … Throwing realistic punches … Larry Hamilton becomes Larry McShane … A spider bites Larry

9  Madison Square Garden
Overview of the New York wrestling promotion … Attendance figures from Madison Square Garden … Power struggled between promoters Kola Kwariani-Toots Mondt-Johnny Doyle and Vince McMahon … The Hamilton Brothers from Stone Mountain, Georgia … $48,000 advance sale … Bleaching his hair blond … The soldier, the sailor, and the faggot … Wrestling Steve Stanlee … Sprained ankle … Madison Square Garden sellout … Riot in the streets … Athletic commissioners and doctors … Wrestling Antonino Rocca and Miguel Perez in the Garden … $2,750 payoff … Philosophical advice from Toots Mondt … The fat pay envelope … Mr. Crockett comes to New York

10  There’s No Place Like Home (or is there?)
Wrestling in San Francisco … Airplane crash that killed Gene Dubuque … Nick Bockwinkel hides his identity from the U.S. Army … Bobby Bruns’ famous quote … The value of local guys

11  The Classroom
Wrestling in Amarillo, Texas, for Doc Sarpolis … Dory Funk Sr. … Learning to do promos … Jody is nicknamed Silent Joe Hamilton … Jody becomes Rocket Monroe, Sputnik Monroe’s new brother … Rube Wright, the one-eyed bandit … Burning his first bridge … Cancelling his booking (singular) … Silento Rodriguez gets married in the ring … Jody gets married in St. Joseph … Nick Roberts’ wife commits suicide … Mitzi the dachshund … Moving to the Florida territory to wrestle for Cowboy Luttrall and Eddie Graham … Lenny Montana, the Zebra Kid, cleans up … First main event matches … Giving notice to the wrestling office … Return trip to the office … $350 a week guarantee in Atlanta … Freddie Blassie’s screwjob finishes … The Iron Russian … The night the Assassin gimmick was born

12  The Assassins
Stinker match against Plowboy Frazier (aka Uncle Elmer) … Buddy Rogers and his crew … The Great Bolo leaves the Carolinas … Meeting Tom Renesto, his new partner … Winning the World tag team title from Ray Gunkel and Don McIntyre … Stunned silence in the dressing room … Designation of Assassin #1 and Assassin #2 … Echo virus, pleurisy, and pneumonia … Learning to wrestle under a mask … Advice from Tom Renesto … Refusing to unmask … The Assassins versus the Freebirds

13  My Mentor
Career history of Tom Renesto … Learning from the master … Advanced studies in promos … The air of sincerity … Mace in the phone booth … Traveling with Tom Renesto … Tom gives a rare compliment

14  The Great Bolo and Bolo
Jealousy rears its ugly head … Shoot in the ring against Kurt and Karl von Brauner … Ray Gunkel lays down the gauntlet to the Von Brauners … The origins of the Kentuckians … Tiny Anderson becomes Grizzly Smith … Origins of the original Great Bolo … Al Lovelock gives his blessing … Exposing the identity of the Great Bolo to the newspapers … Ringing Al Lovelock’s bell … Giving receipts in the ring … The Assassins become the Bolos … Garbage wrestlers … Booking their own programs … The Assassins win the match and save their masks … Near riot in Greensboro … How to work with the Kentuckians … Grizzly Smith gets 22 stitches … The Kentuckians live their gimmick … Burning heat on the heels … Running two towns a night … Battle of the Bullies … Skull Murphy and Brute Bernard … Breaking Mr. Crockett’s rule … The light bulb

15  Guns, Knives and a Noose
Slashed tires … Followed by the fans … Pat O’Hara, superhuman stud … The Assassin vs Zebra Kid: Mask vs. Mask … Threatened with a knife … Banned from wrestling in Lakeland … Leaving the arena in a paddy wagon … Eastern Parkway Arena is burnt to the ground … Attacked by Don Eagle’s father … Yukon Eric runs interference … Killer Kowalski saves the day … Attacked by an umbrella-wielding fan … The angry cop … Holed up in the dressing room … Empathizing with General George Armstrong Custer … Refusing to wrestle on spot shows … Indian standoff … Escape through the ceiling … The noose hangs high … A country sheriff runs interference … Wrestling in Puerto Rico … Enterprising kids sell rocks to the fans … Hit by an armrest … Oil of mustard in squirt guns … Threatening letters sent to the wrestling office

16  Japanese Shooters
Wrestling at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium … Joe Carollo and Don Chuy, football players turned wrestlers … Jules Strongbow makes a decision … Pedro Morales’ bad habit … Luis Hernandez and yoga … A compliment from Roy Shire … A dump truck full of horse manure … Charlie Moto smartens up the cameramen … The Assassins shoot on Toyonobori and Giant Baba … Comparisons of U.S. and Japanese wrestling … Eric the Red shoots with Karl Gotch … Jody, Tom Renesto, and Don Jardine in an automobile accident … $1,000 a week … Luis Hernandez dies in Japan … Bringing Luis’ ashes back to the United States … Koikichi Endo pays a "bonus"

17  The Jabroni from Oklahoma
Wrestling in Oklahoma … Referee Leo Voss … Jack Brisco, former NCAA champion … Jack Brisco’s contract problems with Leroy McGuirk … Danny Hodge shakes hands with Krusher Karlson … Tarzan Baxter shoots with Danny Hodge

18  $500-A-Week Guarantee
Ernie Mohammed and the Phoenix territory … $500 a week guarantee … Shooting snakes and jackrabbits … Tom Renesto gets hepatitis … Tom Renesto wins the NWA World Junior heavyweight title

19  The Mouse and the Bear
Rod Fenton, the Mickey Mouse promoter … Wrestling vs The Academy Awards … Jody gives their (immediate) notice … Haystack Calhoun and Judo Jack Terry … Red McNulty, the underneath guy … The Assassins pin NWA World Heavyweight champion Gene Kiniski … Don and Roy McClarity … Changing clothes in a concrete teepee … Tex McKenzie gets a flat tire … Don Leo Jonathan introduces Rocky Johnson to his pet … Terrible Ted (the wrestling bear) bites off wrestlers fingers … Smokey (the wrestling bear) kills the Bearman’s wife … Juanita Coffman escapes from the bear … Bad Boy Shields (aka Bull Bullinski) and honey … Bad Boy Shields gets caught underneath Terrible Ted … Don Leo Jonathan pins the bear … Don Leon Jonathan press slams Abdullah the Butcher … Rod Fenton and Gorgeous George (Wagner) … A newscaster disputes claims made by Andre the Giant and Haystack Calhoun … Haystack Calhoun’s belly flop … Booked in Australia by Jim Barnett … Wrestlers’ dress code … Tex McKenzie loses his wallet

20  Ass #1 and Ass #2
A history of the Atlanta wrestling promotion … Paul Jones, Tom Mahoney, Aaron Newman, Don McIntyre, Ray Gunkel, and other promoters … $10,000 challenge—Roy Dunn vs Lou Thesz … Morris Sigel’s policeman … Ray Gunkel wrestles Bob Geigel in the NCAA championships … Promotion war: Fred Ward vs Don McIntyre … Don McIntyre retires … Ray Gunkel and Buddy Fuller, new partners … Booker Leo Garibaldi … Leo tap dances on Gunkel’s desk … Alberto and Ramon Torres … The Assassin slaps Ray Gunkel on television … Assassin vs Dick Steinborn: 2 hours and 45 minutes with no falls … Biggest payoff in the history of the Atlanta promotion … Ray Gunkel forms partnership with Ted Turner … Ray Gunkel dies after wrestling Ox Baker … Breakdown of percentages owned by the partners in the Atlanta office … Eddie Graham throws a punch at Ray Gunkel in the dressing room … Buddy Fuller and Lester Welch trade shares in Georgia/Florida wrestling offices … Graham-Fuller-Welch-Jones combine gain majority control of ABC Booking, Inc. … The vultures begin to circle … Skimming money from the box office … Ann Gunkel becomes a thorn in the side of the partners … Ann announces her intention to run opposition

21  Territory War
Ann Gunkel hires Tom Renesto to be her booker … Ann tells Ted Turner that she wants an hour timeslot for her television show … Jack and Jerry Brisco try to intimidate the Super Gladiator … Fred Ward reneges on his promise to Ann … Bobo Brazil sells out the Columbus (GA) Auditorium … Breakdown of the ASWA territory … Savannah promoter Aaron Newman regrets his decision … Ann Gunkel files lawsuits against the NWA … Assassin #1 unmasks (voluntarily) … Tom Renesto (Assassin #1) vs Assassin #2 … Jody meets with Bill Watts … Tom Renesto puts his eggs all in one basket … Ann fires Thunderbolt Patterson … Tank Patton-Thunderbolt Patterson dressing room brawl … Jim Wilson and why he’s a liar … Tommy Rich wins the NWA World Heavyweight title … Business overview … Rigged bidding process … Box office money disappears … Jody and Rock Hunter buy into the ASWA … Jim Barnett vs Bobby Bruns … Ann Gunkel folds the company … Tom Renesto gets booking job with the NWA … Charlie Harben threatens Muhammad Ali’s entourage … Assassin #2 vs Mr. Wrestling #2

22  Master Manipulators
Knoxville, Tennessee: Jody’s first official booking job ... Buddy Lee runs opposition to Nick Gulas in Nashville … Buddy stiffs Jody for $7,500 … Jody looks for Buddy Lee’s grave … Jody books Chattanooga and Birmingham for Nick Gulas … Booking Florida for Eddie Graham … The Rock Hunter Organization vs Dusty Rhodes … Florida territory owners squabble over details … Eddie Graham’s personal problems … Eddie tells Jody to fire Rock Hunter … Graham replaces Jody with Tom Renesto

23  The Hammerlock
Booking for Bill Watts … Frank "The Angel" Morrell … Bill Watts retires (again) … Booking meeting … The hammerlock … Breaking Jerry Oates’ arm … Double Bullrope match … Comparisons between Bill Watts, Jim Crockett Sr., and Jim Barnett

24  Creative Accounting
Taking the book in Kansas City … New Orleans Superdome show … Clicking the house … Two sets of books … Bobby Shane

25  El Santo
Working in Atlanta as Bill Watts’ assistant … Brother vs Brother: Ole Anderson vs Lars Anderson … Booking Andre the Giant … Two sets of books in Tampa, Florida … El Santo appears on Florida TV … Terry Funk books by remote control … Business takes a tumble … Duke Keomuka, just the messenger

26  Outstanding Warrant
The most effective Assassins imitators … Ray Hernandez, the new Assassin … Carpet cleaning business … Eddie Graham commits suicide … Jimmy Crockett pulls a fast one … A case of mistaken identity lands Jody in jail … False arrest … The second Joseph Hamilton makes his appearance

27  Slow Motion
Deep South Championship Wrestling … Bobby Burke, co-promoter … Ranger Ross confronts Burke … Burke resigns … C.M. Christ, Jody’s new right-hand man … Operation of Deep South Championship Wrestling … Joe Pedicino and Pro Wrestling This Week … The Assassin and the Flame: Were they the same person? … Jerry Blackwell gets into the wrestling business … Mr. Wrestling #2 makes a bad decision … Boni Blackstone, new on-air hostess … How Pedicino married the beautiful Boni Blackstone … Jody’s parody of Pedicino and Blackstone … Bruiser Brody laughs at Pedicino’s plight … Overview of Deep South talent, payroll, syndication, and house shows … Jody and Bill Watts draw $87,000 in Marietta, Georgia … Slow motion wrestling … Wrestlers who stay around too long … Jody injures his back

28  Crocodile Tears
Hired as an assistant to George Scott in WCW … Booking committee (Ric Flair, Jim Barnett, Jody Hamilton) … Jim Herd fires George Scott … Why Ric Flair failed as booker … Steve Austin and Dwayne (Rock) Johnson deemed not suitable for WCW … Managing the ring crews for WCW … Origins of the Power Plant training center … Mike Wenner, Buddy Lee "Sarge Parker," and Pez Whatley … Hunter Helmsley: Power Plant graduate … Bill Goldberg’s finish … Bob Sapp accused of being an Uncle Tom … Primetime Elix Skipper … Ric Flair asks Jim Herd to fire Jody … Jody confronts Flair in the dressing room … Rick Rude threatens and curses Ric Flair … Jim Herd sides with Jody against Flair … Political correctness … Eric Bischoff, Brad Seigel, and Vince Russo: Three peas in a pod … Jody’s dossier goes into Jim Herd’s circular file … Jamie Kellner’s big blunder

29  Personalities
Miguel Perez and the bobble-headed dog … Big Bad John gets four speeding tickets, all at the same place … Crazy Luke Graham and the wild pig … Eddie Graham … John Heath … Frankie Cain and Johnny Walker fight in the dressing room … Doug Scoggins dies in an automobile crash … Dewey Robertson … Bob Orton Sr. … George Strickland and Dr. Sam Sheppard … Ray Gordon and the waitress … Antone Leone impersonates Senator Dirksen … Leone does the huckle-buck shuffle … Leone, the one-armed veteran … George and Sandy Scott … Chief Little Eagle plays handball … Pedro Godoy … Tommy Seigler wrestles the Assassin in a steel cage … A wrestling fan hits the ring … Rocket Monroe, street fighter … Guillotine Gordon and the car alarm … Pak Song … Ray Candy … Jody’s thoughts on Mil Mascaras … Koa Tiki sees blood and faints … Dr. Jerry Graham … Andre the Giant … Timothy Geohagen … Duke Keomuka and other partners in the Florida office … Destroying the myth of Fred Blassie’s sex life … The death of Yukon Eric … Ranger Ross, the motorcycle bandit … Scandor Akbar … Bill Miller has a tug-of-war with five spectators … Ricky Romero, the Romeo … Bob Geigel’s Studebaker … Thor Hagen and the coffee cup … Pete Managoff shoots on Ike Eakins … Marco Polo … Vic Christy taunts Lou Thesz … Tojo Yamamoto and Taro Myaki hide from the Ku Klux Klan … Ole Anderson and the Assassin imposter … "The ketchup is going to flow tonight!" … Charlie Smith, tuberculosis ad … Ted Christy chases Vic Christy with a butcher knife … Praise for Klondike Bill … Dusty Rhodes … The Freebirds and the Golden Shower … Rock Hunter, number one manager … Sir Oliver Humperdink … Sonny Fargo as the Assassin’s Valet … Sonny Fargo clocks Eddie Graham with an oxygen bottle … Dandy Jack Donovan buys a counterfeit money machine … Homer O’Dell at the liquor store … Homer O’Dell vs an old lady … Homer O’Dell shoots a Doberman

30  Common Sense
Thoughts on booking … Overview of bookers: Dusty Rhodes, Leo Garibaldi, Jimmy Crockett, Ole Anderson, Tom Renesto

31  The Heel
Forming and running the Deep South Wrestling training center for WWE … How to develop a wrestling character and persona … The difference between the heels and babyfaces … How to get "true" heat as a heel … The key ingredient needed to develop a successful character … Comparison of wrestling today and yesterday

32  Family Affair
Information about Jody’s family

Photo gallery

Index

Copyright © 2007 by Scott Teal Pages designed by Scott Teal