WRESTLING'S BIGGEST CON

By Peter Vuono

   On February 4, 2016,  former pro wrestler Brian Knighton, better known as Axl Rotten passed away in a Maryland McDonalds at age 44. Brian hadn't wrestled in a long time and because of a spine injury he had previously been in rehab and confined to a wheelchair.He left behind a wife of 20 years. Part of Brian's notoriety was that he participated in one of the bloodiest matches in the history of the sport. In 1995, he and his fellow worker, John Williams participated in a Taipei Death Match where real glass was taped to their gloves. They both knew that we have not changed much since the Circus Maximus and the masses demanded their bread and circus.
   Brian once said to his partner," I don't know why I've lived this long; God must be punishing me".For  his blood and tears he would become one of 155 pro wrestlers who have died since 1985 who were younger than 65. He would be one of the 86` who were younger than 50!. According to Jim Wilson's fine book, "Chokehold" the mortality rate of pro wrestlers  in the 80's was  925% higher than the mortality rate of police officers who are killed while on duty. Did you enjoy the Super Bowl? Pro football players, on the average receive 50% of the gate as a group as opposed to 15% for pro wrestlers. It is my personal opinion that this incredible mortality rate is in part due to pro wrestling's biggest con.
   Wrestling was once surrounded by a shroud of secrecy known as "kayfabe". It was a code of silence which resisted vehemently in giving away back stage secrets. Now, nearly every fan knows that matches are predetermined and that the promoters and "bookers" call every shot. Only certain superstars have any leverage as to what will happen. However the fans are happy with this and like this author they continue to love the sport even though they are somewhat "smartened" up.
   However, because of the predetermination of the sport, no one, especially politicians, take it seriously and that is the biggest weapon which hides some of the worst unfair labor practices in the nation. Because of the small technicality of wrestlers being called "independent contractors" and not "employees" they have waived nearly all labor rights that the rest of us enjoy. They do not have insurance, they do not have hospitalization, they do not have a pension and they do not have a union like the NFL and others who have a players' association.
   Because the" booker" tells them where to go, when to go, who to wrestle, what gimmick to acquire, and how the match will be conducted, THAT constitutes an employee. Wrestlers do not have this and can be fired at the drop of a hat. It can also open the door for all sorts of harassment toward both men and women. I also believe  that the unstable status of pro wrestling's workers  contributes severely to their early demise.
   Since wrestlers have no rights, it is important to promote themselves in the best way they can to be "over" with the audience or popular if you will. To do this one must use anabolic steroids to at least look as good as his competitor. If he does not, then termination may follow. To stay "over" a wrestler must ignore pain caused by "bumps" and injuries, "botched" moves and the grueling travel or he or she may not be kept in the roster. This is where pain killers, and sleeping pills come in. What if, however, it was more difficult to fire them if they were unionized? Then it wouldn't be AS necessary to use all these ergogenic aids and perhaps elongate their lives.
   Some very brave people such as Anton" Ripper" Leone, Jesse Ventura and Jim Wilson have valiantly tried and failed. When Ventura tried to unionize he was "ratted" out by the world's most famous wrestler. Small victories were achieved by a few such as Brock Lesnar's wife Rena when she won a lawsuit over her refusing to conduct demeaning "angles". However for the most part. it's business as usual. The top stars don't want to lose the big paydays and the bottom dwelling "jebronies" don't dare say a word for fear of replacement.
   I'm well aware of the more impending atrocities that face us such as child abuse, spousal abuse, drug addiction, refugees. slave trade and terrorism. But the next time you watch your favorite wrestler, know that he or she is working under wrestling's biggest con and it's  just one more injustice that no one is doing anything about.

"Amusements should be our medicines"- Aristotle

CHARIOT OF FIRE

By Peter Vuono

   This short tale is dedicated to the memory of a forgotten American hero and to heroes of every kind everywhere.


   The NFL playoffs are upon us and we all look forward with great anticipation to cheering for our favorite team. However, as I contemplated the past year I thought about the great many players who gained notoriety with little penalty for acts of violence toward children, women and even animals. I also thought how unfair it was that true heroes sometimes don't get remembered. This is a short tale of a man who was definitely a hero and I write about him to preserve his memory and to honor our intrepid firefighters.
   Back in the 80's the debut of wrestler Scott"Bam Bam" Bigelow was greatly anticipated  by the fans. The Asbury Park New Jersey native was 6'4"" and weighed 390 lbs! He entered wrestling school with a legitimate Black Belt and was trained at the Monster Factory  by legendary wrestler Larry"Pretty Boy" Sharpe. Bigelow could do things as a 400 pounder that people thought that only light "high flyers" could do. One move was called a "sling shot". He would stand on the apron of the ring, grab the top rope and propel his 390lbs over the top rope in a swan dive  on top of his helpless prone opponent. He would attain a magnificent career in the WWE, WCW and, of course the ECW. Bam Bam once said that his best move came in July of 2000 when he was driving home from an ECW tour from Japan in a suburb of Philadelphia.
   At 3:30 in the morning he observed a home with the upstairs in flames. He exited the car and entered the home to hear three children, ages 3, 5 and 9 screaming upstairs for their lives.  The front stairway was impassable and engulfed in flames. In order to get to the back stairway Bigelow literally smashed through a built wall of 2 by 4's, plaster and sheet rock to the back stairway.
  After climbing the stairway he grabbed  the three children. They were left alone that evening by an inebriated single mother and managed to start a fire. As Bam Bam got down the stairway. he was on fire and engulfed in flames. Once out of the building and the children made safe, the fire dept. serviced Bam Bam.
  He received 2nd degree burns over 40 percent of his body. He would spend the next ten days in the hospital. Little publicity or credit was given but what slowly came about later would be far worse and tragic.
   Bigelow would take anti-anxiety medications coupled with pain killers for his back. As dosages increased, he would lose his career, his marriage and finally his life  On January 19, 2007. the cause of death was  heart disease and other after-effects of being in the ring so long.. A hero's life ended abruptly and quietly at age 45.
   He died without recognition but as a receipt he preserved three young lives; an act which will remain a shining star which will forever glow through the darkness.


" And suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire came down from heaven and separated the two"
2Kings 2:10-12

CHAMPION OF THE HEART


By Peter Vuono

     Back in the 80's I did security for Walter Kowalski's wrestling shows at Brockton High School.
One evening a wrestling legend, Johnny Valiant, walked in. After asking where he could buy his cherished Parodi cigars the conversation immediately centered on Rocky Marciano." Did he live very far from here? asked the former World Tag Team Champ. I've read so many books about him; I really try to follow him."
    Yes, all those that come to our city ask about Rocky, a great champion and one of the greatest athletes of all time. However what few of these visitors know is that he had a nephew who was an unbeaten champion of the heart.
When I met Peter , he was in his freshman year at Brockton High. I was bowled over by his sincerity and his enormous capacity to befriend people. One couldn't help but love him.
    We became friends and Peter trained with me in my ramshackle  garage gym. Even today, when I went out there , his lifting belt still hangs on a cobwebbed slab of sheet rock 30 years later. Peter and I shared many interests and he became like one of the family. He babysat  for my infant daughter and went to Wrestlemania I with me in 1985. On par with his befriending everyone was his unparalleled capacity to love.
   During  Peter's senior year I had in my special Ed. class a puckish rapscallion of a student named Ray. Ray was tough in both the discipline and the learning departments. I needed an ultimate weapon in helping him to succeed. Along came Peter. I asked him to tutor Ray one to one. When Pete Marciano walked in, it might as well have been Arnold or Lou Ferrigno! Ray looked at Peter as if a deity walked in.
   Pete worked his magic and Ray looked up to his new role model and friend.  Never before had I seen a needy kid like Ray get won over so easily. When I think of Christ saying" If you did it for these, the least of my brethren...", I think of Peter and the many wonderful students like him who devoted their time to my kids.
   Peter was a bigger than life person whose capacity to love and lift spirits was second to none. When I think about the last line of Brian's Song where Jack Warden says of Brian Piccolo," I don't think about how he died but how he lived", this is how I look  back at him. I can only think of the way he made me smile.
   Yes, we do have a great champion athlete  from Brockton in the name of Rocky Marciano; but Rocky had an equal who was a champion of the heart. His name is Peter.

"Remembrance is the only paradise from which we cannot be driven from"- Bruce Lee

THE SON OF ARAGORN

By Peter Vuono

     Some readers may remember my short story in Feb. of 2014 which was entitled GO TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS. This short tale told of the immense heroics of Brockton High School Science teacher, John Bergonzi disarming an assailant with a knife single-handed.  I believe in guardian angels and  the 6'5" Bergonzi who teaches at the Brockton Champion Charter School surely must be one who is moonlighting as a teacher.
     Once again, on November 18, 2015, Bergonzi's might and muscle were again put to the test.
John and his lovely wife Angie; also a teacher, were traveling Northbound from Cape Cod on a very well traveled highway, Route 495. Bergonzi observed that the car in front of him swerved completely to the right, off the road and hugged a guard rail at great length.
     When the guard rail ended, the car lost control, continued to swerve to the right and toppled in a 180 degree rollover! Bergonzi's brawn and bravery once again kicked in and he raced to the car as Angie called 911.. The driver was bloodied and unconscious and the driver's door would only open about 12 inches. John had nothing to break the window with and would have to squeeze his 6'5" 220 pound body in the opening.
    Although, I digress, I couldn't help but think of giant Olympian/ wrestler, Ken Patera who once braced his back up against a brick wall and with his feet pushed back a pick up truck which was in full throttle. John must have been thinking along those lines as he braced his back on the metal support between the front and back door. Then like a human jaw of life, Bergonzi proceeded to leg press the crushed door open freeing the passenger!!.
     As it turns out, the poor victim had incurred a heart attack and was raced away in an ambulance as his savior / Samaritan stood exhausted, bloodied and covered with mud. We all know that this guardian of the galaxy will receive an eternal reward in the hereafter but it is disconcerting to know that few knew of his heroics as once again, super teacher, John Bergonzi has gone to the head in class.


" I am Aragorn, the son of Arathorn; and if by life or death, I can save you, I will"

J.R.R. Tolkien

AND THE DARKNESS GRASPED IT NOT

By Peter Vuono
   
     My son and I often talk to one another with movie references. One of my favorites is from the movie Sand Lot where Babe Ruth tells a kid"Heroes get remembered". This is certainly true  in America. We all need heroes such as Captain Chesley Sullenberger who safely flew his disabled aircraft  into the Hudson saving the lives of all on board. Or the Subway superman, Wesley Autry who, in 2007 threw his body on top of a man having a seizure saving  the man's life. Or Lenny Skutnik who dove into the icy Potomac to save a drowning woman in 1982.
    Here in Brockton, Ma. the home  of Rocky we have many unsung heroes. Two men from the Brockton High School Science Dept. come to mind. In 2011, 6'5" John Bergonzi single handedly  disarmed an assailant of a knife who was committing mayhem  or possibly  worse on another student. Later that year, Bergonzi's colleague, chemist/ coach, Phil Previte lured a fully armed student out of the cafeteria in the event he fired his weapon near students.  After looking at today's headlines it is easy to see that Sharon native Ezra Schwartz belongs in the category of hero.
    The 18 year old youth graduated from one of Boston's most prestigious private schools. Rather than harbor his gifts  to himself, he took this passion to Israel to help the people there live better lives only to be cut down by the fire power of evil. After reading about this intrepid student, I realized how history often repeats itself and how closely Ezra's life paralled that of another martyred hero, David Berger.
    Dave Berger was a native of Cleveland Ohio. Like Ezra Schwartz, he was an intelligent passionate and gifted young man. He received  a Bachelor's Degree in psychology and  Master's Degree in Business Admin from Tulane. He later received a Doctorate of Law from  Columbia. Dave was well balanced in academics and athletics. Lilke former US Olympic Gold Medal winner, Ike Berger, David excelled in Olympic lifting and won the NCAA championships while he attended Tulane. His dad once said,"He may not be the greatest weightlifter, but he will be the smartest".
   He went on to win the 1969 Maccabiah Games in Israel and came up with a dream to both open a law practice in Israel and make the Israeli olympic team. His dreams became reality and he was off to Munich in 1972.
After competition, on Sept 5, 1972, terrorists captured 11 Israeli athletes with David being one of them. Coach Moshe Weinberg was killed instantly but David's death was prolonged as he was shot in the shoulder and died from smoke inhalation from the fire set in the terrorist helicopter.  He and 10 other team mates perished that day. David was 28.
   So when I read the morning paper I marveled as to how these two men were so similar in their dreams and in their fate. They were two, young, gifted and passionate men who set out upon a dream but not just for themselves but for their two countries, America and Israel. Evil may have taken their lives but the shining star of their legacy lives on forever. "Heroes get remembered".

"In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness grasped it not"- John 1: 1-5

THE LIBERATIONIST

Peter Vuono

     Have you ever wondered why when people see an escape artist perform, they identify so closely with the performer? It's simple; every one of us caries a burden of our own. At some period of our lives, we are all plagued with a calamity which may stem from illness, disease, injury, emotions , family problems or just being prejudiced against for merely wanting to be ourselves. Yes, we are all burdened , some far worse than others, at least once in our lives and every time an escape artist extricates himself from a restraint, it sparks a small ray of hope within our hearts that maybe we too can go home and do likewise with all our burdens.
     In 1991 my wife and I went to the Canton, Ma fair to see a magical legend. Norman Bigelow started by allowing himself to be shackled to the stage floor by a non-gimmicked pair of Smith and Wesson handcuffs. A metal open pipe was put under his face and it ran for about 20 feet from him. The pipe was filled with gunpowder and ignited. Bigelow had 10 seconds to open the cuffs with a wire pick(not a key) before the powder blew up in his face. The crowd gasped. Without a second to rest, he continued to liberate himself from cuffs, ropes and a strait jacket as "warm-ups" to a true exercise in courage and horror.
     Many have said that Houdini was the greatest but this author can assure you that Houdini did not and would not have attempted the ultimate instrument of torture known as the "Doors of Death". Two seven foot doors were rolled out which were hinged together. Bigelow was cuffed, strapped and chained to one door. At the end of exactly 3 minutes and 4 seconds, the second door which was laden from top to bottom with 8 inch knives would snap shut on the other door as it was connected with several strong springs.
    As the clock approached  two minutes and thirty seconds, the audience was talking. They were worried that there was NO fail safe to this escape; no way out. It did not seem that this middle aged man from Fitchburg would make it until the final 4 seconds when he slid from beneath the restraints. As the doors slammed shut, the audience gasped and was then speechless. The silence was followed by a loud and prolonged standing ovation.
   The "Doors of Death' would give the authors of "Saw" nightmares and Bigelow went on to thrill more audiences in so many more ways. He caught the attention of the great Copperfield who hired Norman to devise an escape for him. David's famous escape from a falling elevator was planned and constructed by Bigelow.
   Sadly, on August 16, 2015, Norman succumbed to something that even one so gifted as he could not escape from- leukemia. I'll never forget the time he invited me to his Fitchburg home. We spent hours talking escapes and training with handcuffs. There was never anyone in the field more knowledgeable or more generous in sharing  that knowledge.
   Norman was my hero. Yes, I was in awe of his talent but also because he was so kind, generous and gracious with it. These are the things we tend to remember forever even  beyond his great gift.
   And for Norman's many audiences, they will remember the thrills, the struggles and finally the liberation. More importantly, however, they will remember that just like the great Bigelow , perhaps they too can liberate themselves from that which burdens them.
   Harry and Bessie Houdini's favorite song was "Annabelle Believe" It is the word "Believe" that most interests me. It is hoped that all those who experienced the self liberation of Norman Bigelow will look at their own burdens   and continue to believe.


"Given a reason, a man can walk through walls"--Harry Houdini

A RIVER RUNS FREELY

By Peter Vuono

DEDICATED TO ALL THOSE WHO THIRST FOR FREEDOM

     The Chinese people have a very special and unique way of naming their children. For example, Jackie Chan's real name is Chan Kong Sang( or From Hong Kong) commemorating his place of birth. Bruce Lee's real name is Lee Jun-Fan which means "return again". He was born in SanFrancisco and it was his mom's desire that he would one day return which he did. On July 3, 1946, a child was born to a couple in the Communist occupied province of Canton China. It was their hope and dream that the baby would some day run freely like the mighty Yangtze River which is Asia's largest. Therefore, they gave the baby boy the  name of Yang Sze which had been the French derivative since 1800.
    Young Yang Sze grew up learning  the martial art of Tai Chi. He also had a penchant for bodybuilding which few martial artists of the day enjoyed. However this did not satiate his innate desire for the God given right to freedom. One day, while still in his youth, he risked life and limb and dove into the South China Sea.
He swam the 3 miles from the mainland to Hong Kong risking both drowning and being shot on sight by a notorious Communist coastguard. He made it safely to the British owned territory and immediately went to work teaching the little known skill of bodybuilding.
   Yang Sze won the "Mr. Hong Kong" tournament and as a result was hired by the famed Shaw Brothers to make movies in 1970. Approximately 20 movies later he made a Winston Cigarette commercial with Bruce Lee and the two became friends.
   Lee hired him for a supporting role in Enter the Dragon in 1973. His character would be given the name"Bolo" in the movie and he attained so much popularity among Chinese movie goers with the role that he adopted it with the surname Yeung. Hence, one of the most impressive figures in Chinese cinema- Bolo Yeung- was born.
   He would go on to make no fewer than 109 movies with additional stunt work and directing. Many of his roles were terrifying and memorable. He would spar with Brandon Lee in Brandon's ONLY Hong Kong made film-" Legacy of Rage". He would stalk the queen of American martial arts- Cynthia Rothrock, in  "Tiger Claws". However, the movie that made him famous would be the same one that made JeanClaude Van Damme a mega-star. Here he played Van Damme's nemesis "Chong Li" in the Golan-Globus production of"Bloodsport".
   Years later. Yeung was a surprise guest at VanDamme's 50th birthday party which can be seen on YouTube. Thanks to "Bloodsport" Yeung was able to migrate to America and as a result, a second dream came true. His three children - Daniel, Denny and Debbra were ALL born free in the USA.
   Bolo Yeung's physique and career are both inspiring and impressive. However it is his bravery to risk everything in order to quench his burning desire for freedom that most impresses this author. It is hoped that all those who are currently oppressed or kept in bondage either mentally or physically will one day follow Yeung's path so that they may too, like the mighty Yangtze River, run freely.