Friday, October 30, 2009

Charlie Wedemeyer

The football game is over and the players' ritual begins.

Before heading to the showers, the victorious Los Gatos (Calif.) High team members head toward an end zone, pull off their helmets and take a knee before Charlie Wedemeyer, the most famous coach in the school's history.

The players form a semi-circle around the side of Wedemeyer's van, which is parked in its usual spot just behind the goal post. They wait to hear his observations and words of encouragement, even though he is no longer the varsity coach but an unofficial consultant for the freshman-sophomore team.

Not one of them has ever heard his voice.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Rell Sunn

The first wave rolled in and everyone made way for Rell but she fooled us. “This one is for you, Ronnie,” she yelled. I spun around and frantically dropped into a long, beautiful right. When I kicked out, I turned and witnessed true “poetry in motion.” The Queen of Makaha was already deep into her bottom turn wearing the biggest smile. We all watched with delight and enjoyed her amazing style and grace. It was magical. She ended her ride in front of me and I still remember her words, “This is what keeps me alive!”

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Captain Lou

Captain Lou Albano, the crazed and charismatic wrestling icon who played Cyndi Lauper's dad in her "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" video, has died. He was 76.

Albano - known for his wild goatee, usually tamed by a rubber band, and his half-open Hawaiian shirts - was a wrestling world fixture for more than a half-century.

He was inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame in 1996, paying tribute to Albano's management of 15 WWE tag team champions and WWE title holder Ivan Koloff.

The colorful and kooky Albano was dubbed "The Guiding Light" for his "management" work.

"One of the company's most popular and charismatic legends," the WWE said in a statement. "He will be greatly missed."

But Albano's success transcended the ring and catapulted the Captain into pop culture.

The band NRBQ paid homage with their song "Captain Lou," and he appeared in a number of "Miami Vice" episodes along with several films.

His biggest moment came when he teamed with Lauper for a string of videos in 1985, playing her father. The "Rock N Wrestling Connection" helped boost both Lauper's record sales and the WWE's ratings.

Albano also played Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, a hybrid live-action/animated show.

No one was faster to sing the captain's praises than Albano himself.

"Often imitated, never duplicated," was his repeated self-assessment.

He was once a wrestler himself, launching his career in Canada in 1953.

He moved to the WWWF - a WWE precursor - in the early '60s, and won a tag-team title in 1967 by defeating a two-man pairing that included Bruno Sammartino.

Albano found his true calling in the corner, managing other wrestlers with antics that rivaled anything going on in the ring.

Albano's 75th birthday party last year at a Yonkers restaurant turned into a drunken battle royal, with the arrest of one wrestler.

Friday, October 02, 2009

Scott Junk on TUF

First off let's all give it up for Kimbo! He didn't get submitted and it was a weak TKO per Dana White and crew.

Leading up to the fight, Kimbo (Slice) had a crash course on takedown defense and getting up off his back. Take it, he only had eight days to prepare for Roy Nelson, the IFL Heavyweight Champion. Every day Kimbo showed up on time, ready to go, ready to learn, but your mind can't retain all defenses and escapes that he was being shown to do. It takes years to learn simple things, like keeping your hands up.

He fought smart, he didn't rush in! He looked for his shots and took them when he saw the openings.

I worked with Kimbo — a lot! — leading up to his fight and when we first started I was taking him down at will. By the third day, he had already grasped the defense techniques how not to get taken down and he showed that during his fight.

Rampage (coach Rampage Jackson) kept saying Kimbo is like a sponge, but like a sponge you can only soak up so much before it pours out the sides.

***

[10/16] Scott Junk on Wes Sims.

They hardly showed any of Wes Sims' hard work. He worked hard almost every day, and the days he couldn't train were due to injury. Before the fight started I told Wes use your length, don't play in the clinch with Justin Wren. Reason being Justin is a world class Greco-Roman wrestler. The clinch game for Justin is his bread and butter.

But when you're in the fight, sometimes you just do things. Justin put a body lock on Wes and just crushed him to the mat. From there Justin just schooled him. Passed his guard, mounted him, then put him to sleep with a head and arm.

Wes just underestimated Justin and paid the price. I felt bad for Wes, but at the same time I was very happy for Justin. He is an awesome person and worked hard for his victory.

[10/30] Scott Junk on his fight with Matt Mitrione

[11/6] Team Rampage gets one win