Tri-State Wrestling 1967 - Mid-Card
Here's a look at the mid-carders in the territory during 1967.
Jack Donovan & Ronnie Reed - Donovan & Reed (better known as Buddy Colt) came in as a tag team in December. They were managed by Jack's wife, woman wrestler Verne Bottoms, who billed herself as Mrs. Jack Donovan when managing her husband. Donovan had been here extensively in the early 1960's, his most recent stint ending in September of 1965. Reed had been here previously for a few months in early 1964, and I believe he was a babyface for that run. Both men came here from Central States, though they were not a team there. This run appears to be the only time they were a regular tag team. They would move up the cards in early 1968, but for these first few weeks in the territory they were built up with a series of victories on the undercard.
Lorenzo Parente - After spending a few weeks in Georgia in March, Parente returned here in early April. While he had been a heel in his previous run here the year before, this time he worked as a babyface. He stayed a couple of months and then went to Maple Leaf Wrestling in Ontario. He would return here in early 1968.
Timmy Geohagen - As mentioned in my coverage of Central States Wrestling, Geohagen had studied hypnosis, and often did demonstrations before the matches where he would hypnotize people (hopefully volunteers) from the crowd. He came here from East Texas at the end of January and stayed a few months, leaving for Georgia in May. He had been here twice previously, once for a run in 1949 and once in 1960.
Rocky Montero - Montero continued his stint here that had begun the previous August. He left in February and went to Gulf Coast. After a few months there, he went to East Texas for a little while, then returned here in late September. After three months, he left in mid-December, and next shows up in Southern California in January 1968.
Red McKim - McKim continued to work here as a semi-regular around his full time job with the Tulsa Fire Department. His obituary (he passed away in 1994) mentions that in 1967 he started working in arson investigation for the Fire Department after becoming assistant fire marshal in 1966.
Tarzan Baxter - Baxter started here the last week of 1966. Billed as the nephew of former World's Junior Heavyweight champion Joe McCarthy (which may not have been legit) and a former alligator wrestler, he spent most of 1967 here as a mid-card heel. He left at the end of October and went to Georgia. He would return in the spring of 1968 and had a few more runs here over the course of his career, including a notable stint as masked wrestler The Wrestling Pro.
Pancho Rosario - Rosario used several names over the course of his career. At various times he used the names Gypsy Joe Rosario, Pancho Valdez and Isaac Rosario. Notably, he wrestled in 1963-1964 as Bruno Sanmartino (that is the correct spelling) for promoters Tony Santos and Jack Pfefer. Rosario came here in April from Georgia and stayed about five months, heading to Mid-Atlantic in September. He would return here in 1969.
Jack Donovan & Ronnie Reed - Donovan & Reed (better known as Buddy Colt) came in as a tag team in December. They were managed by Jack's wife, woman wrestler Verne Bottoms, who billed herself as Mrs. Jack Donovan when managing her husband. Donovan had been here extensively in the early 1960's, his most recent stint ending in September of 1965. Reed had been here previously for a few months in early 1964, and I believe he was a babyface for that run. Both men came here from Central States, though they were not a team there. This run appears to be the only time they were a regular tag team. They would move up the cards in early 1968, but for these first few weeks in the territory they were built up with a series of victories on the undercard.
Lorenzo Parente - After spending a few weeks in Georgia in March, Parente returned here in early April. While he had been a heel in his previous run here the year before, this time he worked as a babyface. He stayed a couple of months and then went to Maple Leaf Wrestling in Ontario. He would return here in early 1968.
Timmy Geohagen - As mentioned in my coverage of Central States Wrestling, Geohagen had studied hypnosis, and often did demonstrations before the matches where he would hypnotize people (hopefully volunteers) from the crowd. He came here from East Texas at the end of January and stayed a few months, leaving for Georgia in May. He had been here twice previously, once for a run in 1949 and once in 1960.
Rocky Montero - Montero continued his stint here that had begun the previous August. He left in February and went to Gulf Coast. After a few months there, he went to East Texas for a little while, then returned here in late September. After three months, he left in mid-December, and next shows up in Southern California in January 1968.
Red McKim - McKim continued to work here as a semi-regular around his full time job with the Tulsa Fire Department. His obituary (he passed away in 1994) mentions that in 1967 he started working in arson investigation for the Fire Department after becoming assistant fire marshal in 1966.
Tarzan Baxter - Baxter started here the last week of 1966. Billed as the nephew of former World's Junior Heavyweight champion Joe McCarthy (which may not have been legit) and a former alligator wrestler, he spent most of 1967 here as a mid-card heel. He left at the end of October and went to Georgia. He would return in the spring of 1968 and had a few more runs here over the course of his career, including a notable stint as masked wrestler The Wrestling Pro.
Pancho Rosario - Rosario used several names over the course of his career. At various times he used the names Gypsy Joe Rosario, Pancho Valdez and Isaac Rosario. Notably, he wrestled in 1963-1964 as Bruno Sanmartino (that is the correct spelling) for promoters Tony Santos and Jack Pfefer. Rosario came here in April from Georgia and stayed about five months, heading to Mid-Atlantic in September. He would return here in 1969.
