How Did I Get Here?

If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE pro wrestling.  Those who don't will probalby turn up their nose and laugh, but that's okay.  I'm used to it.  If you don't understand it, I won't force you too.  The fact is my dad had me watching wrestling from the time I was 3, and I've been hooked ever since.  That being said, don't think I spend my time wondering "who's gonna win."  I know what wrestling is.  I get it.  And if you treat wrestling as what it is, you will get as much out of it as I have.  I think that even as a kid, I was more intrigued by the stories told by the wrestlers than the actual action.

Enough defending my affection for wrestling.  I still enjoy it.  Deal with it.  That's why it was such a surreal experience to act as announcer for CCW Legends of Wrestling show at the Evansville Coliseum on Wednesday night.  I've been a ring announcer in the past, even for some major stars of the past and present, but this time it was different.  After a card that included stars I've watched on TV my whole life such as Ricky Morton of the Rock and Roll Express, Bushwhacker Luke, Brian Christopher AKA "Grand Master Sexay," Tracy Smothers, and PG-13, I stood in the ring to announce the main event of the evening.  It was then I noticed that I was

one of 4 men standing in the ring.  In front of me stood "Dirty" Dutch Mantel, a hated bad guy for most of his career, whom I watched in the USWA, WCW, and eventually as a manager in the WWF.  Probably most exciting to me is his mind for wrestling.  Dutch was responsible for writing some great storylines as recent as about a year ago in TNA.  Mantel would serve as the special referee on this night.  To my left was Bill "Superstar" Dundee, another guy who I watched and my dad watched growing up.  He was never a big guy, but loved to fly off the ropes and show the "big guys" what's up.  He was another great mind and an awesome talker, as he threatened his foes in an Australian accent to "whoop them."  Finally on my right, a guy that has always been on top, Jerry "The King" Lawler.  As a matter of fact, there was a time that Memphis' USWA just became known as "Lawler's Wrestling" between my dad and I, considering Lawler was always a staple of the show.  He later went on to co-host the WWF's (now WWE) flagship show, Monday Night Raw.  Now in his 18th year with the

broadcast team, Lawler even wrestles on TV from time to time, and will headline a Pay-Per-View this month!  Needless to say, I was in awe being the 4th man in the ring with these 3 Legends.  I never in a million years thought it would happen, but whether you like wrestling or not, I don't care...THAT WAS MY MOMENT!