Where Wrestling's Regional History Lives!
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Where Wrestling's Regional History Lives! |
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- Mike Norris Last
month I gave an introduction to the Lee Fields promotion of Gulf Coast
Championship Wrestling. This month I will take a look at the year I was
introduced to the world of professional wrestling, 1970. In particular,
a look at the two men who dominated the scene that year, Cowboy Bob
Kelly and “Mr. Personality” Bobby Shane. Cowboy
Bob Kelly was without a doubt the most popular wrestler ever to compete
in a wrestling ring in the Gulf Coast territory. A rough and tumble 218
pounder from Louisville, Kentucky, he was not the biggest around unless
you counted toughness. Bob
Kelly was a member of his high school wrestling team in Louisville. He
was also a member of the wrestling team during his stint in the U.S.
Marine Corps in the early 1950s. Bob was trained for his professional
career by Wee Willie Davis and Doug Kinslow, and turned pro in 1959.
After several years being based in Louisville and Indianapolis, Bob
found his way to the Gulf Coast promotion of Lee Fields where he became
a local legend. Kelly held every title the promotion had to offer. The
city championships of Mobile and Pensacola, the United States tag team
championship (’71 w/Mike Boyette, ’72 w/Ken Lucas), the Gulf Coast
tag team championship (’68 & ’74, both w/Bobby Fields), and of
course the big one, the Gulf Coast Heavyweight title. Bob was also the
first Mississippi State champion, beating Rocket Monroe in a tournament
final in Hattisburg,
Mississippi in September of 1968. He held the title more than anyone
else over the next 8 ½ years. In one 12 month period he defended the
Gulf Coast title 156 consecutive times without a loss. Kelly had
monumental battles over the years with the likes of Rocket Monroe, Bobby
Shane, the Wrestling Pro, the Blue Yankee, Rip Tyler, Eddie Sullivan,
Gorgeous George Jr., and perhaps his most heated rivalry, Donnie Fargo.
Throughout, Bob was almost always victorious. Cowboy Bob Kelly retired
in 1976 and was presented with the very first Gulf Coast championship
belt he held in a ceremony held in the ring by Lee Fields and Alabama
State Boxing and Wrestling commissioner Preston Hall. Today, Bob owns
his own wrecker service in Mobile, Alabama and lives quietly with his
wife of over 40 years. Bobby
Shane began his wrestling career at the age of 16 in 1963. Nicknamed the
“Wonder Boy”, he was a popular wrestler throughout the United
States. He made appearances in such areas as Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma,
Missouri, Florida and Georgia. Bobby first came into the Gulf Coast area
as part of a tag team with “Gorgeous” Terrance Garvin, managed by 16
year old James Garvin. No longer the baby faced hero, Bobby now sported
long blonde hair, a handle bar moustache, and his ever-present cigar. It
didn’t take long for him to move to the top of everyone’s most hated
list. Bobby soon took to wearing a crown and claimed to be the “King
of Wrestling” (an idea he later passed on to Jerry Lawler). He refused
to wrestle for “free” on television. If the people wanted to see
“Mr. Personality”, they would have to pay, he stated. He took great
pleasure in ridiculing the Southern fans, the TV announcers and
especially promoter Lee Fields, whom he called “Leroy”. After nearly
two years of Bobby Shane’s verbal abuse, Lee Fields had had enough.
The culmination was a match in which Fields came out of retirement in
July of 1971 and beat Shane to a bloody pulp. Bobby Shane left for
Florida soon after, returning only once to team with Calvin “Prince”
Pullins in a tag match against Cowboy Bob Kelly and Mike Boyette for the
vacant U.S. tag titles. Bobby Shane tragically lost his life in an
airplane crash in Tampa, Florida on February 20, 1975. Behind Bobby
Shane, the flamboyant loud mouth, was Robert Schoenberger, a quiet and
unassuming young man who was living a life long dream of being a
professional wrestler. He was taken too soon. He was one of the great
ones. His legend still lives 26 years after his death. Also
in the area in 1970 were Ken Lucas, Eduardo Perez, Ramon Perez (no
relation), Hurricane Rivera, Dandy Jack (Frank) Morrell, Rocket and
Flash Monroe, Jim and Jack Dalton (who fueded with Frank), Jackie Welch,
the masked Untouchables (Frank Martinez and Karl von Stroheim), the
masked Wrestling Pros (Leon Baxter and Eddie Sullivan) managed by Jim
Powell, Rip Tyler, Dick Dunn, Don Carson, Greg Peterson, Bob Boyer, Mike
“Hippie” Boyette, the Mysterious Masked Medic (Tony Gonzales), Joe
Turner, Bill Skye, Alex
Medina and Johnny West (Kevin Sullivan) NEXT MONTH: I will take a look at the Lee Field/Bobby Shane feud and what led up to the bloody battle in Mobile. In preparation of this column, my thanks go out to David Williamson, Scott Teal, Royal Duncan and Gary Will. |
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