Moolah Enjoyed Fabulous Career
By Mike Mooneyham Nov. 18, 2007 For as long as I can remember, Mary Lillian Ellison has been “one of us.” Born in the small Kershaw County town of Tookiedoo, and living most of her life in Columbia, she was as much a part of the state as the palmetto trees that line its landscape [...]
‘God Of Wrestling’ Gotch Dead
By Mike Mooneyham Aug. 5, 2007 He wasn’t flashy or flamboyant, didn’t cut money promos, and didn’t care much for gimmicks. But he didn’t have to. He was Karl Gotch. Never heard of him? Then chances are you haven’t followed the business very long. In the hallowed halls of wrestling history, Karl Gotch has a [...]
Wild Life Of ‘Russian Bear’
By Mike Mooneyham June 16, 2007 Second of two parts Ivan Koloff will go down in wrestling history as one of the profession’s most hated and feared heels. What most fans didn’t know during Koloff’s heyday in the ’70s and ’80s is that the menacing Muscovite wasn’t really Russian and had begun his career as [...]
Brody Still Making Impact
By Mike Mooneyham May 13, 2007 Bruiser Brody was stabbed to death on July 16, 1988, in the locker room of Juan Lobriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. His influence, though, is still felt in the wrestling industry two decades later. Before there was Mick Foley, before there was Extreme Championship Wrestling, Bruiser Brody roamed [...]
Ernie Ladd Leaves Big Legacy
By Mike Mooneyham March 18, 2007 There’ll never be another “Big Cat.” Ernie Ladd, who passed away last weekend at the age of 68 following a three-year bout with cancer, leaves a larger-than-life legacy that is one for the ages, among both football and wrestling fans. When Ladd completed his distinguished eight-year pro football career, [...]
Wife’s Survival A Miracle To Kelly
By Mike Mooneyham Feb. 4, 2007 Final in a series Don’t try telling Cowboy Bob Kelly there’s no such thing as miracles. He’ll quickly point to his wife of 48 years, Chris, as a walking and breathing example of one. Before he tells her story, though, the 70-year-old Gulf Coast wrestling legend gives his take [...]
Cowboy Kelly Made Lasting Impression
By Mike Mooneyham Feb. 1, 2007 Second in a series Cowboy Bob Kelly chuckles when fans approach him today. The longtime Gulf Coast wrestling star has a hard time believing how folks who watched him four decades ago still remember. But they do. On a daily basis. Kelly, who started his career in 1959 as [...]
Cowboy Kelly Carved Own Niche
By Mike Mooneyham Jan. 21, 2007 First In A Series Pro wrestlers have always been a wayfaring lot, especially during the sport’s bygone era, when most grapplers spent nearly 365 days a year on the road. Back then wrestling was divided into more than 30 different territories that spanned the entire country. An old adage [...]
Thanks For The Memories
By Mike Mooneyham Dec. 31, 2006 It’s an appropriate time to reflect upon the many influential wrestling personalities who passed away in 2006. They all touched the lives of fans and the profession in general. The end of the year saw the passing of one of the greatest masked men in the history of the [...]
The Bette Boucher Story
By Mike Mooneyham Dec. 10, 2006 Barbara Ellison stands barely 5 feet tall, and loves to talk about gardening and grandchildren. She’s also pretty good at throwing a fishing line or a softball when she’s not working at the Summerville Lowe’s where she has been a fixture for the past 13 years. Her Boston accent [...]