2021 – WRASSLIN’ (both genders)
(ignore April 30, 2017 publish date – this was published on August 23, 2021)
AND done in equal quantity: 10 in-the-ring photos each.
For the most part, these came from another old and ignored photo folder from the early 1980s simply-titled, “WRESTLING”.
Chronologically, the male side begins with two not-in-the-ring images. The first one – curiously enough – begins on the Uncle Floyd Show in 1982. If you had ANY interest in wrestling back then, you probably recall two-time WWE champion Larry Zbyszko.
For some reason, the Uncle Floyd Show was starting to attract wrestlers to the show and Larry was on more than once. Just like in the ring, he created a feud with certain UFS individuals, including puppets (!).
I found this online:
The show continues to grow in popularity as personal appearances draw huge lines everywhere. The show begins to be constantly mentioned on radio by Vin Scelsa, Tony Pigg, Meg Griffin, Don Imus, Lynn Samuels and host of college stations. Wrestlers start to visit including Classy Freddie Blasie and Larry Zbyszko who at one point attacks Hugo.
(Hugo is a puppet.)
I took the below double picture on June 28, 1982, during one of Larry’s visits. As usual, it started out nice and friendly, but also as usual, that didn’t last long.
In the photo on the left, that pair of legs behind Floyd and Larry belongs to cast member Scott Gordon, whom Larry had just thrown against the back wall. In the right photo, Larry’s attacking Looney Skip Rooney, who looks like he’s really trying hard to defend himself (what’s he doing……..trying to blow his nose into Larry’s hand?):
About 5 months later (November 10, 1982), Scott invited me to go to a wrestling event a few miles away at Fair Lawn High School that had a couple of big names: Bruno Sammartino (Sr. and Jr.) and – you guessed it – Larry Zbyszko.
Larry was the only one I recognized, so I had no idea who else I was shooting until the following April when UFS fan and Fair Lawn resident Brian Shapiro sent me the official lineup (thank you, Brian):
Unfortunately, that only helped me identify two more people: whoever Larry and Giant David were up against (you’ll see in the pix why it was easy to pick out big Dave).
So here’s what I shot that night, ending with Larry:
This felt almost exactly like shooting concerts: easy candids.
On to the distaff side of the equation……………
I have to tell you up front that – unlike the male side – the female side is rated R. Maybe that’s why I shot TWO such events in 1981. Actually, I had to shoot two because the substance in which the reactions took place differed (my chemistry background finally comes in handy). To be photographically – and historically – complete, I had to shoot the mud AND the chocolate pudding versions. Life is tough.
You buying this?
It all starts off innocently enough:
…..but then things quickly went uphill……um, I mean downhill:
I think I recall the play-by-play announcer calling this move a “two-cheek peek”.
Before I show you the rest of the images, you should be made aware that mud wrestling pictures are now considered to be an art form (or so says Fine Art America):
(boy – I was lucky to find that excuse!)
The rest of the sophisticated art:
So, whaddaya think? Swank magazine liked them:
Did you figure out which of these were filmed in mud and which were chocolaty?
No fair licking the screen.
You know you’ve hit the big time when you’re an entertainer or wrestler who gets to do their thing at Fair Lawn High School!
Yeah, but the flip of that is that I probably wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near the plane of the ring ropes to shoot from if this was held at the Garden. Bad for them, good for me. AND there are no tolls between Hackensack and Fair Lawn. 😉