Muscatine

Nigel;

I got to go to one of the famous O'donnell stadium wrestling cage matches one summer. Cage match between Kenny Vaughan and the Indian Billy Red Cloud. Of course, the well-known always won.

Mad Dog and Crusher had one too that the Crusher won; but I could not go to that one.

Remember "the very capable Kenny Jay"? Poor guy was always the set up wrestler to lose on tv.

Remember when Vern Gagne had the VW microbus drive from a ramp onto his stomache six pack on tv? Sure...the engine was in the rear, but that still was alot of weight for a stomache.

Does anyone remember when the Acri Creature Feature tv studio "monsters" made a personal visit to the Muscatine mall?  Ran around scaring the little kids. I was getting their autographs when I said to the Wolfman, "You really like this job?", under my breath to him. Through his mask he rolled his eyes at me!

Great stuff....our local history!

BTW...The Lucas St. 7-11 was open all night; but so was the Sky Nook Truck Stop grill and station across from the airport, long before that. Great grease!

Wait a minute....that might have been Reggie Parks that had the VW bus drive a wheel onto his stomache. He had a British or Aussie accent.

How about George "Scrap-Iron" Gadaske?  The designated "I'm here to get the crap beat out of me" wrestler.

And going way back....Gorgeous George, Mr. Moto, Haystack Calhoon, .....

Yes and you can add Baron Leonie and Antonio Rocco to the list of professional wrestlers.  Also, There was a store on Iowa Ave between 2nd and 3rd streets that had a television in the store window.  People used to stand there at night and watch the wrestling.  Not many people had tv's at that time.