Jim Valley is back from Las Vegas and the annual Cauliflower Alley Club reunion event for the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live.
It honored Natalya, El Phantasma (the father of Santos Escobar), Chris Bey, Abdullah the Butcher, Bob Orton Sr. and Mick Foley, among others. Foley even got his own roast which was actually (gasp!) entertaining and maybe the first time ever for a wrestling roast.
Plus, Jim talks about another template-style edition of WWE SmackDown, a preview of Sunday’s Forbidden Door, and more.
With Bryan Alvarez having a sick day, Wrestling Observer Live with myself and special guest “Filthy” Tom Lawlor is back and, as always, there’s a lot to get into.
Wednesday night’s AEW Dynamite set the table for much of what we’ll be seeing coming up this weekend at All Out. We look at the card.
Plus, CM Punk receives the Iron Mike Mazurki Award from the Cauliflower Alley Club, our thoughts on adult and/or seasonal beverages, and so much more!
CM Punk spoke to an audience of approximately 400 people at Wednesday night’s Cauliflower Alley Club banquet in Las Vegas.
The 44-year-old accepted the Iron Mike Mazurki award at the event, the CAC’s highest honor. Punk addressed banquet attendees for 45 minutes and thanked those who he feels helped him succeed in the wrestling industry.
“The business was a lot different when I got in it but the basics and the fundamentals of professional wrestling are the same as they ever were. If it worked in the 1940s, it could work today, you just have to know how to apply it,” Punk said. “The basics and the fundamentals of professional wrestling were taught to me by Ace Steel.”
Punk credited legends such as Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Tracy Smothers, Harley Race, and other wrestling legends who gave him the confidence he needed to succeed.
“Harley Race liked me for some reason and I didn’t get it. Tracy Smothers liked me for some reason and I didn’t know why. I never fit in anywhere before. Eddie Guerrero loved me and I never knew why.”
Punk continued to tell the story of driving Race home from a bar and Race throwing up in Punk’s car.
“I miss a lot of them. I miss Eddie, I miss Chris Candido, I miss Tracy Smothers, I miss Harley Race, I miss Terry Funk but it makes me appreciate the ones that we still have that I can still text every day. I can still text Jerry Brisco, I can still text Bret Hart, and I can still see all of you.”
“I know that throughout my career, I probably rubbed some people the wrong way. Some people like me, some don’t. What I always had was the backing of legends.”
Punk turned his attention to Teal Piper in the audience and continued.
“Teal, your father, who is my hero, Roddy Piper. Roddy Piper is the reason I’m a wrestler today and I remember the last time I saw him and he told me he was proud of me. So, when people tell me that they don’t like me or the internet’s mad at me, I just kind of chuckle because Roddy Piper liked me, Dusty Rhodes liked me. I had the respect and the backing of Harley Race before I went to the WWE, and to me, that means more than all the money in the world. Because these legends put their stamp on me before anybody even knew who I was, it gave me the confidence and it gave me the ability to succeed in a place where I didn’t think I’d ever fit in.”
Punk also mentioned Eddie Guerrero, Tracy Smothers, Chris Candido, Raven, JBL, Mickie James, and his wife AJ Mendez as those who helped his career.
“What means the most to me now is sharing a locker room and having those kids come up to me and they tell me, and I get emotional when they tell me, and they tell me, ‘I saw you sitting cross-legged on a stage in Las Vegas and that brought me back to wrestling.’ And I see a kid come up to me and they show me a tattoo and it says ‘straight edge’ and they say ‘I’ve never done drugs, smoked, drank because of you.’ And to me, just like the stamp of legends, that means so much to me. And if there’s a reason I’m still doing this, it’s that people come up to you and they say ‘You saved my life.’ It sounds a little far-fetched but goddamnit, I understand.”
A wide variety of stories are featured in this week’s double sized issue of the Observer.
Our lead story looks at how WWE and AEW have handled COVID-19, including notes on the WWE outbreak, how its TV shows changed, Jon Moxley & Renee Young, handling of masks by both companies, how WWE’s policy changed, what AEW did this past week, who missed this week’s WWE television and reasons why in many cases, WWE responds to questions about how they’ve handled things and more.
The new issue also covers:
WWE firings and suspensions based on Speaking Out, Sammy Guevara, responses by a number of people who claims against them and how different companies have reacted.
More on the suicide death of Hana Kimura, her mother speaks, what she said to a friend and what was and wasn’t staged about her role on Terrace House which led to her depression.
Motions filed by Jerry McDevitt on the Saudi Arabia situation, as well as a response by Hugo Savinovich, and what is and isn’t relevant to the lawsuit itself.
Wednesday night competition, with the ratings in all the key demos for both shows, the ratings pattern, how every quarter and match did, what lessons are learned, what’s up for next week, as well as match-by-match coverage with star ratings.
New Japan Cup with notes on local television, the storylines leading to the final four, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings of the last four shows.
The television industry and sports and how this affects WWE and AEW. We look at WWE buying Evolve, Kane’s political stance on masks,.Roman Reigns talks why he’s not appearing for WWE right now, Update on the Oliver Luck lawsuit against Vince McMahon, Extreme Rules update, Kairi Sane’s future, Edge talks injury, Canadian and U.K. TV ratings, how wrestling stands in sports ratings, Becky Lynch’s push for her booking that WWE didn’t do as far as losing the title, WWE star fears another surgery, Gail Kim talks traumatic WWE matches, Mike Chiods talks his departure, The Nexxus return, WWE stock value and the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.
A major piece on the life and career of Killer Tim Brooks. We go from the start of his career, how he got into wrestling through his family, his first match, how he got his first break and became a main eventer, his biggest runs, his early successes in Japan, the forerunner of one of WWE’s most famous angles, his career title history, his friendship with Bruiser Brody, and his running a promotion himself.
This past weekend’s UFC show with the Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker fight of the year candidate, match-by-match coverage, plus business notes.
A feature on an all-time great pro wrestler who had a recent murder charge dropped due to dementia.
Titus O’Neil up for nomination this past year for the Muhammad Ali award.
Ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight covering UFC 251, the New Japan Cup, Smackdown, Wednesday ratings and other news for Wrestling Observer Radio. You can send questions to the show to [email protected]
So this is the latest on UFC 251. With Gilbert Burns out, UFC worked on a deal for Jorge Masvidal to replace him in a welterweight title fight with Kamaru Usman. Masvidal had turned down prior money offers to face Usman. So as long as neither test positive for COVID before the fight or another complication takes place, that will be the main event this coming Saturday, Usman vs. Masvidal for the welterweight title. While people are super excited about it, and it is a big fight, you have Masvidal coming into the five round fight with no training. Essentially, since Usman is known for cardio, Masvidal may have to get Usman out of there early. Because of that, Usman is a fairly heavy favorite to retain.
As far as trending stuff over the past week with no shows, it was quiet. UFC 251, regarding the reports of the welterweight title change, was No. 11 yesterday with 100,000 searches. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was No. 9 on Friday with 100,000 searches
Sarah Dobson Rowe, formerly Sarah Logan, has said that she will make an announcement tomorrow regarding future plans. She had talked in the past of doing MMA.
The Cauliflower Alley Club website yesterday made a listing of some wrestling movies from the past, some of which are trailers only, others the entire movie:
All the Marbles (trailer only): The wrestling sequences in the final match of this movie were far above the standard of pro wrestling at the time. This is where a lot of people realized how talented the women of the All Japan Women’s group were.
Mad Bull starring Alex Karras, I loved this the first time I saw it, not so much the second time.
Wrestling Queen, a documentary on Vivian Vachon, who was the most talented and charismatic woman of the early 70s, but for obvious reasons was not allowed to be the ace of women’s wrestling.
The One and Only starring Henry Winkler, this was directed by Carl Reiner and was originally to be a movie about Gorgeous George but instead they went with a scripted movie very loosely based on George’s gimmick.
I Like to Hurt People, a movie based on late 70s Detroit wrestling when it was dying under The Sheik after having a huge glory period, Capt. Ed George in the movie is The Sheik’s son which explains his push. But cool stuff with Dusty Rhodes, Andre and The Funks.
The Wrestler, based on 1973 AWA and the Verne Gagne vs. Billy Robinson feud, really everyone needs to see this movie once,as you get clips of Superstar Billy Graham, Nick Bockwinkel, Ray Stevens, Dusty Rhodes & Dick Murdoch, Bruiser & Crusher.
If you are looking to watch a wrestling movie, the Mickey Rourke version of “The Wrestler” and the English subtitled “My Dad is a Heel Wrestler” which is available on New Japan World are the best bets.
Les Thatcher this weekend celebrated 60 years in pro wrestling. starting at the age of 19 in a match in Blue Hills, ME.
WWE
Pete Dunne, Trent Steven and Tyler Bate have raised $45,000 from sales of Black Lives Matter shirts.
UFC
Aaron Phillips vs. Jack Share has been added to the 7/15 show.
Luke Sanders vs; Chris Gutierrez has been added to the 8/1 show.
Modestas Bukauskas, a former Cage Warriors champion, debuts against Andreas Michailidis in a light heavyweight fight on 7/15.
The Carla Esparza vs. Marina Rodriguez fight that was scheduled for 7/15, but canceled because one of Rodriguez’s cornermen tested positive for COVID, has been moved to 7/25.
Luke Sanchez vs. Chris Gutierrez is slated to take place on 8/1 according to MMA Junkie.
AEW
Chris Jericho posted that his match that airs Wednesday with Orange Cassidy was one of his favorite and best matches in AEW.
Brian Pillman Jr. debuts for AEW on Dark this week against Shawn Spears. Another debut is NorCal wrestler Will Hobbs, who faces Orange Cassidy. As noted previously, Pillman’s MLW contract allows for him to wrestle for AEW.
MISCELLANEOUS
A Nathan’s Hot Dog commercial that aired yesterday had a quick Andre the Giant cameo.
MLW has premiered on both the Brazilian and German versions of DAZN.
EPW from last night in Perth, Western Australia: Kiel Steria b Zenith, Joel Hagan b Dizzy Videl, Del Cano b Bruno Nitro, Plague b Tyler Jacobs & Stella Nyx & Chadwick Jackson, Damian Slater b Jesse Lambert, Michael Morleone b Julian Ward. This was the first show in Australia since 3/20, in front of a limited audience at their training center. They will return on 7/25 with no seating restrictions with Morleone & Ward vs. Slater & Marcius Pitt (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
To mark the passing of Dave “Bearman” McKigney on July 4, 1988, Marshall Ward talked with his stepson, Conrad Gargus, who made a ton of those iconic Bearman posters that were in shop windows across Ontario and beyond.
Dean Silverstone, a former promoter in the state of Washington who was the Treasurer and head of business as the Treasurer for the Cauliflower Alley Club, passed away on Thursday at the age of 75.
Brian Blair and the CAC confirmed the passing. Silverstone was a key figure when it comes to the 60s and 70s in pro wrestling, as much for his work historically. For years, he hosted the Northwest Wrestling reunion at his home, where former territory stars from all over the country returned. He was a neighbor of Ichiro Suzuki, who one year was enamored by the idea that Dick Beyer, The Destroyer, was vacationing near him.
In real life, Silverstone ran the Golden Oldies! record chain in the Northwest from 1975, after he stopped promoting pro wrestling, until 2017, when he retired. He attributed all his success in his other business to the business lessons he learned promoting pro wrestling. He also wrote perhaps the best book ever on small territory pro wrestling, “I Ain’t No Pig Farmer!” about his life and career in wrestling, particularly the ups and down of the five years he ran a regional promotion.
Silverstone was friends with the late journalist/radio host and pro wrestling historian J. Michael Kenyon, meeting at pro wrestling shows when they were teenagers. While the two took different paths in life, they remained friends and both were avid students of the history of wrestling.
In 1959, at the age of 15, he went to work for Harry Elliott, the regional wrestling promoter in the area, doing publicity and programs. Silverstone pioneered the concept Tony Khan uses on Dynamite of having legitimate win-loss records for the talent like if it was boxing or MMA in the programs. By the time he was 19, he was promoting spot shows and working as a referee.
After Elliott retired in 1968, Silverstone continued working for Vancouver promoters Gene Kiniski and Sandor Kovacs, as they bought rights to the territory. After a split with them in 1969 feeling they weren’t running Washington effectively, he started his own promotion which ran in Washington and Idaho. His book detailed his issues with the power brokers in wrestling because he was not an NWA member, and both Kiniski and Don Owen felt he was infringing on their territories, even though they weren’t running there at the time.
Silverstone used mainly talent from Mobile, Alabama as he liked how that territory ran, so he contacted Lee Fields, who ran the promotion, and booked eight wrestlers from the territory as well as used wrestlers living locally.
He ran shows for several years with mixed success. At one time his television show at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Yakima was doing 90 shares, which is unfathomable. He syndicated television around the state and ran, using a crew that would be threatened by the establishment for working for him, and running into all kinds of unforeseen problems.
In 1975, he decided to get out of wrestling and open up his record store in Seattle. He was far more successful in that business, and at one time owned 11 record stores throughout the state.
Silverstone and his wife Ruth were friends to all the wrestlers of that era who would attend his annual reunions. He handled all business for the CAC as well, and his loss would have to be considered devastating to that club.
This year’s Cauliflower Alley Club reunion is one of the latest pro wrestling-related events to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Cauliflower Alley Club has announced that this year’s reunion is being postponed. It was originally scheduled to take place at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada from April 27-29.
“Due to the COVID-19 protocol and our concern for everyone’s health, we will be postponing the 55th Cauliflower Alley Club reunion scheduled for April 27–29,” the Cauliflower Alley Club wrote.
“We are currently working with the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino for new dates for the 55th in the fall, most likely mid-September. However, we will keep you abreast as soon as we get the exact dates nailed down.”
Here’s the list of this year’s award winners:
Lou Thesz Lifetime Achievement Award: Rob Van Dam
Iron Mike Mazurki Award: Madusa
Lucha Libre Award: Rey Mysterio
Tag Team Award: The Road Warriors w/ Paul Ellering
Women’s Wrestling Award: Jazz
Men’s Wrestling Award: Ricky Santana
Trainer’s Award: Dominic DeNucci
Rising Star Award: Maddison Miles
Rising Star Award: Brian Pillman Jr.
James C. Melby Historian Award: Greg Oliver
Charlie Smith Referee Award: Art Williams
Posthumous Award: Jim Londos
The full statement from the Cauliflower Alley Club is available below:
Dear cherished CAC members and reunion attendees,
Due to the COVID-19 protocol and our concern for everyone’s health, we will be postponing the 55th Cauliflower Alley Club reunion scheduled for April 27–29.
We are currently working with the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino for new dates for the 55th in the fall, most likely mid-September. However, we will keep you abreast as soon as we get the exact dates nailed down.
Please contact the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino for a 100% refund of your deposit (room reservations 888-402-6278). If you so desire to still go to Vegas during the April dates, the Gold Coast will honor your discounted room rates; however, please remember that this will not be an official gathering by the CAC.
As far as reunion tickets purchased, you have 3 options:
Get a refund by contacting Dean Silverstone
Apply your reunion ticket to the new dates, most likely in mid-September
Donate your ticket purchase to the benevolent fund and get a tax receipt
As far as flights go, the airlines are being very flexible due to the COVID-19 virus.
We apologize for the inconvenience and hope that this pandemic runs its course sooner than later. We also hope and pray that neither you or your families have contacted this serious virus.
Thank you very much for your understanding and we greatly appreciate your support of the CAC and the many people from the wrestling industry in which your generosity has helped so much, during their most dire financial challenges.
