Before we get to this week’s list, I need to right a wrong from a couple weeks ago, when I ranked my Top 7 non-baseball left-handers.
I’m sorry, Mr. President, but the guy I’m about to mention takes over at No. 6, pushing Kim Novak to the final spot and leaving you with only the leadership of the free world with which to console yourself.
Here he is, a hero of my childhood, “Little Joe” Cartwright, aka Michael Landon:
Joe was the fastest gun and most willing fighter of the Cartwright boys, and his paint horse, Cochise, was pretty cool too. My apologies to the Landon family for accidentally omitting him from the original list.
And now, on to this week …
The last list, you may recall, dealt with the Top 7 Sandras or Sandys, and checking in at No. 7 was former Portland Wrestling ref “Dandy” Sandy Barr.
Upon reading this list, my junior high (and Facebook) friend Jim Grammel suggested a future Top 7 on the best Portland wrestlers of all time. So in honor of Jim — and all of those like him, including myself, who spent countless hours in the 1960s and 1970s watching the Saturday night action from the Portland Sports Arena (on North Chautaqua, next to Sandy Barr’s Flea Market) on Channel 12 — here it is:
1) Lonnie Mayne, aka the “Moondog.”
2) Dutch Savage, the Duke of Hazel Dell, Wash. Dutch and Lonnie were tag-team partners after Lonnie became a good guy; Dutch also once beat up my colleague, Graham Kislingbury (ask him about it sometime).
3) Tough Tony Borne. Tony lived not far from me in Milwaukie; his son Matt once on the school bus beat up a kid who would later become my brother-in-law. Tony and Lonnie were partners in Lonnie’s bad-guy days.
4) Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka.
5) The Royal Kangaroos, a tag team that hailed, ostensibly at least, from Australia.
6) Jesse “The Body” Ventura. Who knew he had a political future of sorts.
7) Rowdy Roddy Piper.
Honorable mention: Bull Ramos (he beat up Graham too), Playboy Buddy Rose, the Iron Sheik and Sam Oliver Bass (have to love the initials).
3 comments
JuneauJim says:
Aug 27, 2009
This blog post must have been brought to us by Friendly Chevrolet and Tom Peterson's!
Perhaps there should be a list for Good Guys and Bad Guys, but if it is combined, Playboy Buddy Rose and Ed Wiskowski would be at the top of my list. Those guys made that show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfMBndj_AgA
craigthomas says:
Aug 31, 2009
Nice list BUT I'm "tippie toe mad" that Shag Thomas isn't on it! His trademark head butt left a mark or permanent dent on many a wrestler during his career.
stevelundeberg says:
Aug 31, 2009
The Shagger was already a ref and no longer a combatant when I started watching Portland Wrestling, but he'll always hold a place of honor for me. I even named a dog after him.