Sunday Morning's All Right For Fighting

Do the hammer lock! a-Do the hammer lock!
Raid! Do the hammer lock, you turkey necks!
Yeah, do the hammer lock! a-Do the hammer lock!
Everybody's doing it

Raid!Do the eye gouge!
Yeah, do the eye gouge!Raid!
Do the eye gouge, you turkey necks!
Yeah, do the eye gouge! a-Do the eye gouge!
Everybody's doing it

Raid!
Okay, you turkey necks, gather 'round!Raid!
Let me show you how to do the Crusher
If you don't learn it now, I'm gonna get you in the ring
Raid!
Okay, you take your fist and put it on your waist
And if you don't, you're gonna be a disgrace
Because you squeeze your partner's head til she is blue in the face
Raid!

Do the Crusher!
Do the Crusher!
Raid!
Do the Crusher, you turkey necks!
Yeah, do the Crusher! a-Do the Crusher!Everybody do it now!
Raid!

“The Crusher” performed by The Novas, 1965.


Every Sunday I had a ritual growing up. My brother, my father and I would deliver Sunday Morning Chicago Tribs and Sun-Times to the East Side of our town, go to the Ottawa News Agency (where I was usually given a stack of one hundred or so COMIC BOOKS), have an egg-McMuffin, go to church (10:30 Mass at St. Pat’s) and then I would watch Bob Luce Wrestling on Channel 26—WCIA Chicago.

This was the greatest Wrestling show for sheer frugality. There were Ben’s Auto Sales ads (5858 South Western—where the Wrestlers buy their cars) A One Stop Ad (where you can buy Beer and Chitlans by the case) and Empire Carpet ads (588-2300 Empirrrreeee).

The wrestling announcer was Sam Menecker and the show was a taped grainy affair featuring the likes of Sailor Art Thomas, Wilbur Snyder, Bobo Brazil, Dick The Bruiser, Spike Huber, The Valliant Brothers, King Kong Brody, and THE CRUSHER.

The Crusher has recently died and it put some retrospect on one of my favorite pastimes.

Many of my favorite Wrestlers have died. Most die young because of the physical toll on their bodies (yes it is not “real” but it still probably hurts) or they have a bused drugs or they live a less than stable lifestyle or hundreds of other reasons. I found this great website that gives interesting information on the demise of some of my favorite wrestlers: http://www.garywill.com/wrestling/decwres.htm. Check it out as it is interesting. I did not know Pepper Gomez recently died, or Chris Candido.

The Crusher, according to his obit, was well in his 70’s and working out the day before he died. That’s the way to go out I suppose.

Granted, even in fourth grade, I knew that this was choreographed and that these guys were probably not really “mad” at one another. I mean, who gets mad if you are called a geek or turkey-neck or someone spills powder on you?

I followed the Wrestling Culture fairly thoroughly as I bought The Wrestler and Inside Wrestling Magazines. I figured out that there were numerous Wrestling federations and the WWWF (WORLD WIDE WRESTLING FEDERATION) was on the East Coast (they always wrestled in Madison Square Garden). I figured out that the NWA (NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE) was in the South as they always wrestled in Athens or Charlotte. I figured out that AWA (American Wrestling Alliance) was more Midwest based as they had promotions in Minnesota and Chicago area. The Channel 26 stuff was part of a federation out of Chicago, Gary, and Terra Haute and they would combine with the AWA upon occasion.

The magazines told me who were the champs, who was a good guy, who was a heel (bad guy) and what rotten things they did to one another. When a “good guy” turned traitor on another good guy (like Peter Maiavia turning on Bob Backlund in the WWWF) then I was supposed to hate the traitor.

I knew that Ric Flair was arrogant, The Sheik would light you on fire and then use pencils in your face, Mil Mascaras was the high-flying ace of Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling), Bruno Sammartino was a long time champ who lost to Superstar Billy Graham, Jack Brisco was a short lived NWA champ, Dusty Rhodes had major feuds with nearly everyone, and Jumpin’ Jim Brunzell was a “nice guy.”


It was a very simple world back then and easy to follow. As it is now with Wrestling, it is more annoying than entertaining. When I was a kid, it was a comic book world with heroes and villains and there were very little shades of grey.

Seems the same is true today in so many aspects of our culture.

The shows were corny and I remember my dad took me to a Wrestling show in the LP gym. I saw a kid in attendance from school so I waved and I asked my dad if he knew anyone there. “God, I hope not…” he said. Still, we had fun and my dad knew it was stupid, but he took me there for my interest.

It was a good show and yes, we saw The Crusher.

Now the Crusher has joined Dick The Bruiser, Bobo Brazil, Sailor Art Thomas, Wilbur Snyder, and King Kong Brody in that big Six Man Tag in the sky. Have a beer up there for me gents—see you sometime later.

Now I need to go to Ben’s Auto Sales and find that 1976 Dodge Aspen and pick up my free tickets for the Friday Night Fights. You know, I wonder if the place still exists.