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The legends of
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Dusty Rhodes

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The New Breed

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Diamond Dan and Hoss

Rick Link

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The Cruise World Order starts!

After watching wrestling on television and in person for over thirty years, it was inevitable that I would climb into the ring.
That last statement is a total lie.

I was now in my forties, 'not in shape' is a kind description of me physically, and I have had a kidney transplant and could be on dialysis with one bad fall from the ring. And let me make this perfectly clear, I have never been trained to do anything remotely like professional wrestling. So I never thought I would get closer to the ring than the somewhat safe front row.

This all changed when one person talked me into it. That person that really needs to sit on a shrinks couch is Chris Cruise. Cruise was for many years an announcer for WCW and knew a lot of people.

Not people that I would want to know but that is another story.
Chris was very good friends with a local promoter, Chris Plano. Plano to his credit had purchased a small local promotion from an old wrestler named Ken Spence.

Spence seemed to always find a money mark and sell his promotion. The thing would fall a part in a few months and he would sell it again to some other mark. Only, Chris Plano really worked his tail off and this small house of cards began to make a little money. This promotion started drawing about two to three hundred people a show!

Plano was a big fan of Cruise and he wanted him to join the promotion as a manager. Thinking back on it, having a guy with that much face time on television is a very good idea and it could help sell tickets. So this is where I got involved. Cruise wanted me to be in the ring with him so if any fan snapped and got in the ring; he could push me in front of them and get away. Cruise knew I could talk a lot of shit after sitting with me at all these independent shows. So I agreed to go along with this bit of nonsense.

Now, I needed a long stay on a shrink's couch too.
It all started in Burlington at a show in the armory. Ric Link was walking to the ring and he turned and saw Cruise and I sitting on the front row. Link went after Cruise but Cruise was way to quick for him to catch. But I was very stupid and slow and he caught me cold. For a guy that weighs about 475, Link is very quick in short bursts. The outside ring barrier was made out of very cheap plastic plumbing pipes duck taped together. Link knocked me off my chair and hit me with all this stuff. And then put the boots to me. I had to lie there like a dead fish selling the hell out of it.

I mean, what could I really do but sell it?

And that was a very smart thing to do because it really put Link over as a real killer heel. Of course, I looked like a real innocent victim. The referee Dave Routh went down to the ring side and checked on me. Dave was a customer of mine at my comic book store so I guess he wanted a bigger discount so he took care of me helping me to my feet after the match was over.

I acted like I had been knocked out and just came to. I began to yell for justice and began to swing my arms punching the air wildly and wanting to press charges. Maybe Plano saw all this and convinced him to let me bodyguard for Cruise?

Maybe it was my personal charisma?

Maybe Cruise really wanted me because of my fantastic bumping ability?

Or maybe it was the fact I agreed to work for free?
The locals really got into this and one guy said he knew a lawyer if I needed one.

A friend of mine Doug Hilton was with us at this show and thought it was very funny only it was not a planned spot. Link just wanted to get some cheap heat at our expense.

So the groundwork for the Cruise World Order was ready for its next big step.

Next Time,
Hitting the Ring in Thomasville

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