As a kid growing up in West Tennessee, you could always count on two things on Saturday mornings: "The Adventures of Superman" at 6:30 AM and "Studio Wrestling" on channel 5 at 11 o'clock. I don't know if he watched "Superman", but my Uncle James WAS going to watch wrestling (or rasslin' as it was affectionately called in Bemis) each and every week. He loved it.
I spent a hand-full of Friday nights over at Uncle James' & Aunt Bernie's apartment and it was "Soul Train" (Aunt Bernie's favorite) that night and "Studio Wrestling" on Saturday.
Jackie Fargo and his brother "Roughhouse" (who was released from the insane asylum to wrestle), Bill Dundee, Handsome Jimmy Valiant, and Herb Welch (Uncle James said he could really wrestle and was not just a performer) were a few of the colorful characters we witnessed on a regular basis. I was fascinated with the "piledriver" and "sleeper" holds and I could never figure out how the referees were always on the opposite side of the ring when the bad guys "double teamed" the good guys. No fair!
Uncle James had been pinned to the mat in recent years since suffering a stroke and he was not able to do too much. He did, though, continue to watch and enjoy wrestling.
For the past several days he struggled and fought what would be his final match this side of heaven. Earlier today, the "three count" came and it was over.
Some might think that he lost the fight. I know better. He came out a winner. There is no belt to show for it. However, there is a crown and that makes Uncle James a true champion.
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