The King of New Orleans by Greg Klein

Author:Greg Klein [Klein, Greg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: vl-wrestling, Wrestling, Sports & Recreation, General, Biography & Autobiography, Sports
ISBN: 9781770902244
Google: HHhrb3EvVWUC
Publisher: ECW Press
Published: 2012-06-01T19:04:14+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE LAST STAMPEDE

“Rubber Man” Johnny Walker had never been a main-event star. Despite his many years in wrestling, his ability on the mic, his fire, and his skill in the ring, his gimmick never caught on. One of the great things about the old territory system, however, is that a wrestler could move on and find another gimmick. In fact, he could go from the opening match or mid-card to the top of the bill with the right change in look, name, or idea, or with a little bit of seasoning and the right mix of opponents, fans, and bookings. That’s what happened in the early ’70s, when Walker put on simple white trunks and a white mask and became Mr. Wrestling II.

The original Mr. Wrestling, Tim Woods, had been a Georgia favorite. The idea was for Mr. Wrestling II to feud with the original. The gimmick worked so well that soon the masked men were both favorites and an occasional tag team. On his own, Mr. Wrestling II caught fire, and for the next decade he was a masked headliner. While he enjoyed fame in the ring, his biggest national attention came when Georgian Jimmy Carter ran for president. Carter’s mom was a huge wrestling fan, and Mr. Wrestling II was her favorite. Carter had a folksy, homespun appeal, and the tie to wrestling helped. In one of the most famous pictures in professional wrestling history, Carter put a headlock on Mr. Wrestling II. When Carter was elected, he invited Mr. Wrestling II to the inauguration. The wrestler planned to attend. However, when he learned that he would have to go without his mask, he politely declined.

A little less than a decade later, in 1983, Johnny Walker’s career was winding down. Because of his mask, few fans could guess his age, but he was in his fifties. He had already been in wrestling for twenty years before he donned the hood for another decade. His return to Mid South featured several tag team title reigns, as well as big feuds with Mr. Olympia and Kamala. Crowds loved him, chanting, “II, II, II,” whenever he was down, and even more when he began gaining momentum to set up his finisher, “the million dollar kneelift.” He even got a title shot against American Wrestling Association World Champion Nick Bockwinkle in Houston for promoter Paul Boesch.

As with any babyface in Mid South not named Junkyard Dog, Mr. Wrestling II could only climb so high. He could win tag team titles, have hot feuds, and be a solid number two — pun intended — but he couldn’t be the top guy. Because of his age, it probably wouldn’t have been a good idea, anyway. Of course, being a solid number two had its drawbacks, as well. If the top guys never changed, things would get stale. Since JYD wasn’t going anywhere — at least in Watts’s mind — other guys had to come and go, rise and fall. When business fell off in late 1983, a shake-up was desperately needed.

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