When Wrestling was Fun
- Thread starter Fun For All
- Start date
Maple leaf wrestling Lord Athol Layton on the broadcast, Johnny Powers (always seemed to be a victim of foul play) Dominic Denucci, Tony Parisi, Abdullah the butcher, the sheik, Ernie "the big cat" Ladd... etc. etc. Then the lackeys brought in to lose like George J or Tommy R lol. Appointment viewing on channell 11 till i moved out of the region.
To this day I remember the polka music they played to introduce the CHCH broadcast. Anyone know what it is?
You think through that a lot of the designated losers were blokes earning some extra scratch or putting their way through uni. I think one was like a biology post grad student or something.
The Saturday wrestling was just to be an ad for the match in MLG or Buffalo Auditorium. Thus the famous wrestlers always wrestled the designated losers on Saturday. On occassion if two well known names went at it, it was at the end and they "tried to stay with this as long as we can..." and the show ended before you saw the outcome. Great stuff indeed, back when you needed an antenna to get TV....
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Night Court was one of my favorite shows.
Mark Calaway has retired from professional wrestling. He getting to be himself and his interviews are refreshing.
For a spoiled rich kid, Shane O Mac turned out to be a great wrestler.
Mark Calaway has retired from professional wrestling. He getting to be himself and his interviews are refreshing.
For a spoiled rich kid, Shane O Mac turned out to be a great wrestler.
Killer Kowalski and "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. I remember as a teen going to a wrestling match with friends at the Ottawa Exhibition back in the late 50's. The white haired lady (must have been in her 80's) was going crazy. We thought she was going to have a heart attack.
The Sheik and his manager The Weasel (Abdullah Farouk) were my absolute favoutites.
I loved when he would finish the guy with the camel clutch, his eyes rolling back in his head,
his tongue wagging like a demented madman.
Superstar Billy Graham was all look and no talent, Bruno Sammartino had to carry him through all their matches. Vince took Graham's image and created Hulk Hogan.
Billy Red Lyons replaced Lord Athol Layton as Maple Leaf Wrestling's TV promoter. Since he was so much a part of my childhood, I did a background check. Lord Athol Layton was born in England and grew up in Australia. He started his professional wrestling career in the Singapore circuit. He eventually made his way to Maple Leaf Wresting where he became a main event draw and got his biggest paycheques.
In the early 60's he started working with Edward Farhat, they became close friends. Farhat was starting a new circuit in Detroit called Big Time Wrestling and Layton went there to help the promotion get off the ground. It was during that time that Farhat became The Shiek and Irwin Roth (who was forced to retire due to injury) became Adbullah Farouk. The Sheik and Layton had many bouts, eventually becoming part of the NWA, then working MSG for Vince McMahon Sr's WWF. An injury forced Layton to retire, he'd made a home for himself in Mississauga. It didn't dull his mic work and he became Maple Leaf Wrestling TV promoter. Lord Athol Layotn died of a heart attack in 1984.
Edward Farhat's nephew would become the legend of ECW as Sabu...the manager is annoying I hope he gets guzzled.
Billy Red Lyons replaced Lord Athol Layton as Maple Leaf Wrestling's TV promoter. Since he was so much a part of my childhood, I did a background check. Lord Athol Layton was born in England and grew up in Australia. He started his professional wrestling career in the Singapore circuit. He eventually made his way to Maple Leaf Wresting where he became a main event draw and got his biggest paycheques.
In the early 60's he started working with Edward Farhat, they became close friends. Farhat was starting a new circuit in Detroit called Big Time Wrestling and Layton went there to help the promotion get off the ground. It was during that time that Farhat became The Shiek and Irwin Roth (who was forced to retire due to injury) became Adbullah Farouk. The Sheik and Layton had many bouts, eventually becoming part of the NWA, then working MSG for Vince McMahon Sr's WWF. An injury forced Layton to retire, he'd made a home for himself in Mississauga. It didn't dull his mic work and he became Maple Leaf Wrestling TV promoter. Lord Athol Layotn died of a heart attack in 1984.
Edward Farhat's nephew would become the legend of ECW as Sabu...the manager is annoying I hope he gets guzzled.
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