WCCW #24 Page #2
From
mid 1986 it was downhill. A stint teaming with Grappler II (referee Rick Hazzard)
went nowhere fast. After reverting to his true identity of Len Denton, a Dirty
White Boys team with Killer Tim Brooks and Percy once again as manager also
flopped. Given what The Grappler accomplished before and after World Class, it
seems that the promotion wasted a solid talent.
Some
wrestlers almost always lost and it came as no surprise. There were no pushes
waiting down the road or glory days from the past for these wrestlers. The life
of an opening house shows and putting guys over on TV represented the limit of
how far these grapplers could progress. Yet they still put there time in the
ring and honed their craft in what generally was a very thankless role.
Mike
Bond – Mike Bond was the quintessential
World Class enhancement guy. He was capable of the ring, but was balding, had an
average physique, and was void of any apparent charisma. Despite all of this,
Mike logged more ring time in World Class than many major stars because as they
came and went, Mike Bond stayed year in and year out. Never flashy to be sure,
but always doing his part to make the big names look good. Now why did he only
wear one kneepad?
Mike
Reed – Mike was a familiar face in
World Class for many years, putting over the heels. Mike never scored high on
the charisma charts and lacked a well put together physique, but he knew his way
around the ring. Mike’s losses far exceeded his wins, but he did once pin
Michael Hayes with a surprise roll up when Hayes spent too much time arguing
with referee David Manning and not enough time wrestling.
Bill
Rathke – Big Bill had a fair amount of
size by the standards of most undercard guys, weighing in at a husky 280 lbs. If
nothing else Bill stood out due to his blonde hair and feathered hat ala Robin
Hood. A brief ascent to low midcard status under the management of Armand
Hussein highlighted Big Bill Rathke’s World Class run.
Not every wrestler was
portrayed as someone who was not good enough to win. Sometimes it was just a
matter of talent being undone young and inexperience.
Manuel
Vilalobos – Manuel Vilalobos was
frequent participant in World Class rings during 1987. Although The Iron Sheik
brutalized him in one memorable encounter, for the most part Manny was portrayed
as a promising young talent who just needed more experience and an upset or two
to breakthrough to the next level. He and veteran Al Madril often teamed as a
babyfaces.
Jason
Sterling – Jason was another young
babyface who needed more ring time. He’d get in some offense, but not quite
pull it off. He briefly got a push feuding with Eric Embry for the Light
Heavyweight Title in late 1987. Jason’s father was Dewey Robertson, better
known to World Class fans as The Missing Link. Father and son occasionally
formed a tag team.
Tommy
Montana – Tommy was a mainstay of TV
squashes and the undercard in 1985. His blondish hair and mustache gave him sort
of a poor man’s Marlboro Man look. Tommy didn’t win often, but was never
made to look badly and was referred to regularly as a “young up and comer”.
There
you have it, a look at the wrestlers who lost more than they won, but still made
enough of a mark that we still remember them and their matches 15 to 20 years
later and that is nothing to be ashamed of.