The Lehigh Valley's Pro Wrestling history! (Philadelphia, Allentown: theatres, store, garden)

[loose cannon]

Originally Posted by stephen salay

A guy in his 50's believing that, that stuff is real must be koo koo!!LOL.. I mean i watched, and loved it all the way till high-school.. After that i woke up.. In fact my sister just got wwe tix given to her for the bouts in trenton coming up.. I have no desire.. Heck the last one i went to featured King kong bundy, Hill-billy Jim, Andre, orndorff.. I believe it was 1984.. That was it.. Can u imagine 50 and doing it? I guess 2each-is-own..

I stuck around through the 90's and would have continued, but it got way too absurd in the 2000s. I still am a fan in general and will watch old stuff on Youtube. My knowledge of wrestling is encyclopedic and I should teach a course at a local College. There is no one in this area who knows more about Pro Wrestling than I do. Im quite certain about this.

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by loose cannon

I stuck around through the 90's and would have continued, but it got way too absurd in the 2000s. I still am a fan in general and will watch old stuff on Youtube. My knowledge of wrestling is encyclopedic and I should teach a course at a local College. There is no one in this area who knows more about Pro Wrestling than I do. Im quite certain about this.

Yes but where can you apply that in a useable manner?...
Hosting a radio show perhaps or working in the industry?...

[stephen salay]

the 70's and early eighties.. Mostly 70's though.. But, u still didnt answer my question about the allentown arena where they did the tapings.. Did u have to get advanced tix?? It was so dark in there to the viewer.. Besides the first couple rows u couldnt see squat.. I watched religiously every sat starting around noon.. Then again around maybe 5.. They seemed to be at different arena's?? Was one allentown and thee other Bethleham?? The one that came on later seemed more bright with a different announcer.. I only can recall the announcer at the early taping,,, Joooeee Mccue!! The other announcer i cant recall.. I can hear his voice, but name?? How much were the tix?? I recall waiting up till 11o'clock and using my TV rotor to get in the NY channel, and get to see the next weeks matches a week early.. So in reality i got in 3 wwwf viewings.. Here's a lil trivia for ya...Mcmahon interviwed Andre one time about an upcoming match.. I must of been 9 years old [i'm 43 now].. And to this day it just didnt look right.. I just thought then wow,, he's huge! I do not recall when, maybe 5-10 years ago i was watching something on that interview, and someone revealed something about that... And, i said darn it, i knew something didnt look right when i saw that at 9 years old!!!! Thanx for listening.. Hey, did u ever attend matches at the arena? Or Wildwood???

[loose cannon]

Originally Posted by stephen salay

the 70's and early eighties.. Mostly 70's though.. But, u still didnt answer my question about the allentown arena where they did the tapings.. Did u have to get advanced tix?? It was so dark in there to the viewer.. Besides the first couple rows u couldnt see squat.. I watched religiously every sat starting around noon.. Then again around maybe 5.. They seemed to be at different arena's?? Was one allentown and thee other Bethleham?? The one that came on later seemed more bright with a different announcer.. I only can recall the announcer at the early taping,,, Joooeee Mccue!! The other announcer i cant recall.. I can hear his voice, but name?? How much were the tix?? I recall waiting up till 11o'clock and using my TV rotor to get in the NY channel, and get to see the next weeks matches a week early.. So in reality i got in 3 wwwf viewings.. Here's a lil trivia for ya...Mcmahon interviwed Andre one time about an upcoming match.. I must of been 9 years old [i'm 43 now].. And to this day it just didnt look right.. I just thought then wow,, he's huge! I do not recall when, maybe 5-10 years ago i was watching something on that interview, and someone revealed something about that... And, i said darn it, i knew something didnt look right when i saw that at 9 years old!!!! Thanx for listening.. Hey, did u ever attend matches at the arena? Or Wildwood???

Ringside seats were $4 and sold in advance at the Ritz Barbecue just across the Fairgrounds from Ag Hall. GA seats were $3. The venue held an estimated 2-3,000. There were 4 sides of ringside seats about 12 rows deep. Behind the seats were 4 bleachers. It usually filled up pretty good. In late 82 when Jimmy Snuka turned face the place really took off and I think they started sqashing in 4,000 plus. When they went national the following year it really got out of hand and they stopped coming by the Summer of 1984. The other arena was the Hamburg Field House in Hamburg PA. They taped there the following night. Joe Mchugh worked Allentown as an announcer and Gary Michael Capetta did the Hamburg show. GMC has a great book out that you can probably find online. Andre was really only 6"9 and enhanced his height by wearing big boots and standing on boxes during interviews. I saw wrestling in Wildwood 2x in the 80's.

[stephen salay]

Thank you for the correct info.. How right u are about Andre standing on boxes!! But i do believe he was closer to 7'0".. U do know your stuff.. I like it.. But, thats not the answer Gary Michael Cappeta.. I knew him well.. He took over for this one guy.. GMC came afte the guy i'm talking about.. Let me hunt around for him on u tube and i'll try and send it.. I just cant recall his name.. Do u recall when Stan Stasiak was exposed with his heart punch?? Kind-a like Stan Hanson with the Larriet... Can't seem to find anything, but i'd be safe to say GMC took over for him..

[loose cannon]

I do not know the announcer's name but he started to get up their in age and he either stepped down himself or he was asked to. GMC, who already had been doing some announcing at smaller NJ shows took over. Im not familiar with a Stan Stasiak incident.

[stephen salay]

Again, u are right the guy was getting up there in age.. Kind-a dirty-blond hair.. Glasses i believe.. Anyway, Staisak i guess during the end of his run was wreslting somebody decent... He gave his heart-punch, and a bunch of quarters or half dollars fell out of his tapped hand... Needless to say i guess this was thee end of his run.. Also how was hamburg?? As a child i recall them calling something the hamburg field house??? Is this where it was?? Were u ever there?? So people from out of thee area were less likely to go to the tappings?? Because they only sold them in that area??
Have u ever went to the interview tappings?? My dad knew a reporter who was going to take me, it never happened though..
How about the arena in center city philly?? Have u made it there.. The title [championship title always changed hands in NY"s MSG, but one time it changed in philly at the arena] Either Stasiak and Morlales or Bruno.. But the arena was awesome as a kid for me..

[stephen salay]

I found the guy [announcer].. And get a load of this one... I recall watching this live on tv... How neat it was! And a classic interview with monsoon afterwards.. Stating Ali doesnt know a wrist lock from a wrist watch! But, i think u were right about the health problems with him.. For some reason a recall that too.. Him and Joe Mccue were the guys i knew first.. Then after attending many matches in local high-schools with my dad,, GMC was always thee announcer.. Then all of a sudden i started seeing him on tv... But, it was neat to see monsoon all over town.. Boy, was he huge.. a legit 6-5 400lbs.. He's son Joey i played basketball against as a high-schooler in a catholic league.. He was rather small and skinny.. I always thought how can he be so small with a father like that?? But, i always figured he got that from his mom.. Who was some sort of small lady of asian decent. Only later to find out Joey was adopted.. That answered that.. Great family! Gorilla always had time for everyone.. He was vinces sr's right hand man.. And jr's too.. He handled all the high-school matches in the area.. He arrived early, and set the ring up with all his help. Probably orginized the card too.. Gorilla was the wwwf! What do u think Loose? Give me some knowledge....

Heres the clip
YouTube - Muhammad Ali VS. Gorilla Monsoon

[EmmausRocks]

What about Salvatore Bellomo? He's a great guy who's very cool to hang out with. I've known him for years! Very local guy at one point in time. Old time wrestling was the best era I think. The late 70's thru the late 80's was a fantastic time for the sport. The earlier guys were the one's who got it's popularity going but the later guys brought more muscle and hustle!!!!

[loose cannon]

Originally Posted by stephen salay

I found the guy [announcer].. And get a load of this one... I recall watching this live on tv... How neat it was! And a classic interview with monsoon afterwards.. Stating Ali doesnt know a wrist lock from a wrist watch! But, i think u were right about the health problems with him.. For some reason a recall that too.. Him and Joe Mccue were the guys i knew first.. Then after attending many matches in local high-schools with my dad,, GMC was always thee announcer.. Then all of a sudden i started seeing him on tv... But, it was neat to see monsoon all over town.. Boy, was he huge.. a legit 6-5 400lbs.. He's son Joey i played basketball against as a high-schooler in a catholic league.. He was rather small and skinny.. I always thought how can he be so small with a father like that?? But, i always figured he got that from his mom.. Who was some sort of small lady of asian decent. Only later to find out Joey was adopted.. That answered that.. Great family! Gorilla always had time for everyone.. He was vinces sr's right hand man.. And jr's too.. He handled all the high-school matches in the area.. He arrived early, and set the ring up with all his help. Probably orginized the card too.. Gorilla was the wwwf! What do u think Loose? Give me some knowledge....

Heres the clip
YouTube - Muhammad Ali VS. Gorilla Monsoon

Yes Gorilla was a big part of the organization. He owned a percentage of the company and he also owned points in the Puerto Rican based WWC. He sold to VKM and was pretty much guaranteed a job for life. Sadly, Gorilla Monsoon's adopted son Joe Marella passed away many years ago in a car accident. It was sometime in the early 90's. Then as you probably know Gorilla passed on around the start of this decade.