The Crusher

[MinnesotaMuskie]

Man...we were just talking about this last night...I have to tip my hat to da Crusher...and Mad Dog...you are right 11:00AM on SUnday:)

[Gissert]

Were they on the old channel 11, WTCN?

I can still hear their jingle: "Metro-Media-Television, Eleven...Eleven....Eleven...."

[genegodawa]

During my time watching Wrestling I saw many of the names already mentioned (like Dr. X, Mad Dog Vachon, Heenan, Bockwinkel, Verne Gagne, the Shiek, Baron von Raschke, Andre the Giant, Wahoo McDaniel, Superstar Graham, Killer Kowalski, among others) but my favorites always were the tag team matches and in Chicago it was the Bruiser and the Crusher who had fan support. I think the Bruiser was an ex-Packer, or was it Crusher? Gagne was the champ for so long-really unbelievable. You know who Randy "MachoMan" Savage's dad is right? Don't remember if it was Andy Poffo or Chris Markoff, Bobby Heenan's orginal clients. And speaking of cowboys, how about BlackJack Lanza? Then there was the Masked Assasin. And who were those 2 oriental guys? I think one was named Mitsu Arakawa but I can't remember his tag team partner. And the ex-football player - Ernie Ladd, he was tall. And the midgets were cool too. My all-time favorite though was Eduardo "the flying Frenchman" Carpentier - because HE wrestled "scientifically".

Those drop-kicks, and greco-roman knuckle locks, and the figure 4 leglock had nothing on a good pile-driver in my book. But the worst one to watch had to be the back-breaker...ooouuchh!

[ozzie]

Nord The Barbarian remember this guy??? He had the auto commercials where he would pile drive guys on the hood of cars.......classic

[ptkane]

Hey Everyone - go to obsessedwithwrestling.com.

It has lots of pictures and info. on all those great rasslers.

[ptkane]

"...collar and elbow hook-up"

[ptkane]

"...no stranger to the squared circle"

Sorry - I love those old Mean Gene-isms.

[ptkane]

Didn't they used to introduce Da Crusher as "The Pride of Milwaukee"??

[prophet]

da crusher was the man who made milwaukee famous

[The Grebe]

Gissert and Chaff....This goes back aways...do you, or anyone else on this post remember Farmer Marlow and his mule kick? How about Haystack Calhoun?

[The Grebe]

Did'nt one of them guys go by the name of Mr. Moto?

[luckyc]

Grebe, yes, remember them well, I think it was Farmer Marlon and his mule kick. I just about ruined my little brother with that mule kick.

[chaffmj]

Grebe,

How old are you? I do remember Haystack Calhoun but the Farmer I don't recall. Mr. Moto is a familar name also.

My dad took me and my older brother to the matches a few times in the early to mid 70's. The last match I went to with a buddy was at the St. Paul Civic Center sometime in the late 70's and the feature match was Hulk Hogan trying to lift Jerry Blackwell up and body slam him. My younger brother got into the WWF and wrestle manias but I lost interest in it way before then.

[The Grebe]

Chaff..really, really ffin old! To give you an idea, Verne Gagne had a thick head of hair when I started watching rassling on a black and white tv set with a a 3'x4' wooden case and a roundish 12 inch picture tube in it!

[chaffmj]

I screwed up in my post here, I meant my dad took us in the early to mid 60's not 70's, but I still think I am a little younger than you Grebe. Though we also had a big old box TV with a small screen.

[The Grebe]

Chaff...maybe you are? Then again, maybe you are'nt? Years are'nt always measured the same in each individual.

I can still run a mile without to much problem and 2 if I had to, but I'd be laboring.

I never get to bed before 11:00 or midnight and I'am always up before 6 a.m.

I've still got a good set of muscles, you can still see a six pack in my stomach and although it is a little snug, I can fit into the suit I wore when my wife and I got married 27 years ago!

I'm no kid, thats for sure, but I have a young heart and I expect to be able to hold my own...Hoo-rah!

[Dan Thiem]

Liar!

[The Grebe]

Touche!

[echotrail]

One of the local news programs did a bit on the Crusher a few days ago. They said the AWA was started by Vern Gagne in 1960.

[The Grebe]

Is Gagne still alive? My nephew said he passed away awhile back?

I did'nt see the name of the guy that started all the glitz, Gorgeous George? How about Billy Red Cloud?

[The Grebe]

Chaff...you know, I never really watched it much on my own, but if my dad was watching it, thats what we were watching, case closed.

Over the years I would watch it sporadically, I never believed any of that dump, even when I was a kid and I to quit tuning in even periodically, about the same time you did.

Brunzel reminded me of a Jack-o-lanter with long legs on it and young Gagne looked like Peewee Herman next to some of those dudes...certainly did'nt measure up to the old man, thats for sure!

[echotrail]

I'm not sure if Vern Gagne has passed away or not. He always seemed to be able to open a can of whoop-(Contact US Regarding This Word) on guys that were 25 years his junior. Probably because he was taking those "Ziggity who" vitamins he was pushing that no one would buy. Another great old timer was Crybaby Cannon.

[vern]

Vern's still around.

[chaffmj]

That would be geritol that Verne was pushing so hard. It wasn't that long ago that I heard Greg Gagne doing a commercial for something. I think the Gagnes came out of all of that stuff ok. Sounds like the Gerbe was drinking some of that Geritol with the way he was saying how good looking and in shape he is for an old guy.

[The Grebe]

Chaff...you dang right! I knew a good thing when I seen it, even as a kid and I spent every penny of my allowance on the stuff! How old was Vern when he retired from throwing those drop kicks, about 75?

I figure to still be climbing and trimming trees when I'm 80 and that is only a year away! I've been mistaken for a wrinkled up plastic bag stuck in the branches, more then once!

Had a lady use a polesaw on a branch I was perched on

while I was doing some work...she thought I was a crippled owl and she was going to get me down and take me to the raptor center for help!

You sure that was Geritol? That stuff is a recognized brand named product and has been for years...Was'nt it something like Geri-Speed? I can't recall, I ran out about a year ago, used up the last bottle!