As we go through this pandemic Danny Boyce has decided to mention some of what he is missing from the sports world. Some will seem silly, some will seem serious, and there’s a distinct possibility that the reader will feel the opposite of which ones are which. But again, it’s sports, so enjoy!
Part 1: Parts Unknown
The world of technology has given us many wonderful things but sometimes I think it has given us too much information. This is one of those sometimes.
Nowadays we know all we want about professional wrestlers. We know where they came from, what characters they used to be, how many kids they have, their favorite vegetable, etc. But there was a time when kayfabe ruled the industry and us fans weren’t allowed behind the scenes. And that gave us one of the best mysteries in the world: Where did that guy come from?
When the ring announcer introduced the combatants for the match it was customary to announce the weight and where they were from. A lot of them I can still remember.
- Tito Santana was from Tecuala, Mexico.
- Greg “The Hammer” Valentine was from Seattle, Washington.
- Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat was from Hawaii
- “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair was from Charlotte, North Carolina
- The Rock N’ Roll Express was from Tennessee
- “The Macho Man” Randy Savage was from Sarasota, Florida
- Hulk Hogan was from Venice Beach, California
But there were a bunch of them – usually wearing face paint or a mask – that the announcer had no idea where they came from, as if the wrestlers filled out their information with Ron Swanson in mind. Demolition, the Road Warriors, Kamala, Powers of Pain, they all were “from Parts Unknown”. For a kid this left quite a bit of mystery. I loved this. But then you start asking yourself things like “How did they get here?” or “How did Mr. Fuji find these guys to begin with?”
It’s just one element that I miss . . .